An Ugly Beauty
by orangebaby
Summary: Plump & pimpled, Kaoru runs away to Germany after suffering from a major Kenshin Himura heartbreak. Three years after, she goes back to Japan with a slim figure to flaunt, a pretty face to brag and a sweet revenge to execute! Super OOC! Chap 20 Updated!
1. Prologue: Ugly

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An Ugly Beauty

Myth#1: Thin is beautiful. So if you're fat, you're ugly. Myth#2: Tall is beautiful. So if you're short, you're ugly. But what if you're both? After suffering from a heartbreaking past with playboy Kenshin Himura, Kaoru Kamiya flees to America to let her heart heal. Almost three years after, she goes back to Japan with a thin waist to flaunt, a pretty face to brag and a sweet revenge to execute.

**Prologue: Ugly**

_For what is beauty than the pureness of ones soul – anonymous-_

_Real women have curves. They are white, tall, skinny and young. That is why they're __beautiful. If then, how about that fat lady who offers her home to _

_her neighbor's __orphaned son? How about that short girl who lent her doll to her friend? How about that __grandmother who cooked lunch for her _

_grandchildren? Aren't these women real? Aren't __they beautiful? For years, the world has been blinded by aesthetic pulchritude, the beauty __that which _

_can be perceived by the eyes. It has not considered women whose size, __complexion and age do not fall under these aesthetical standards. But true _

_beauty lies __within and that's the beauty that matters most. It's the beauty that defines a woman real. __Those women who have cleaner hearts than cleaner _

_faces, who have bigger hearts than __bigger boobs and those who have taller dreams that taller bones are those who we ought __to consider beautiful._

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The afternoon had been horrible. The sky was dark and roaring, the streets were wet with the crude unforgiving rain and Kaoru's heart was broken. The pimpled-faced fifteen-year old snuggled herself tight into the corners of the Kendoh room, tears seeping from her sad sapphire eyes, where she overheard Kenshin and the others talking.

Talking about her, about what they've done. A game. The best seven days of her life with him had been a lie, an illusion. She sniffed in derision, and tried to get the images of him that had been floating there since the day they first met away. Away where she could not remember them. She hiccupped and stared intently at the door. Someone was knocking.

In swift panic, she got on her feet and hurriedly wiped her tears away with her shaky hands. She freed yet another labored breath, fixed herself, combed her disheveled hair with her hands and inched herself towards the door. The knocks sounded a little too persistent. Slowly, she opened the door and met the worried eyes of her Kendoh instructor, Seijuro Hiko.

Now, Hiko was a big burly man whom at first impression was a hard-to-please conservative hypochondriac. His mere presence fills the room with authority and a distinctive clearing of his throat means that when he is present, he is never to be ignored. His poker face never showed any affectation towards anyone, even or especially to his students. But if ever there was anything Hiko was notorious for, it was because he never wants to see his students get hurt by the hands of someone else. If anything should cause their students suffering, it would be him. Lest anyone else tried to inflict them pain, that someone would answer to him.

The news of the 'betting game' that the Kendoh team had played on its only female student had already spread across the wide lengthy halls of Feryuu high, something that was regarded as a scandal instead of just an ordinary piece of news. Hiko was evidently worried because he had seen a sort of similar case where the effect of these juvenile games on the victim in question was suicidal. He just hoped that Kaoru was strong enough. Whether crying is a manifestation of strength was something he wised at that time was a fact.

"May I come in?" his voice was nearly inaudible. Kaoru nodded and opened the door wider. The lights were off and Hiko could hardly see anything inside. He turned to Kaoru and patted her on the head. "Tell me what's wrong, kid"

Kaoru sniffed and Hiko offered for them to sit down. It was when Kaoru let everything out. What was surprising was that of the hundred shoulders she thought of crying on, Hiko's was never on the list. But to hell with all the others and to the stupid notion that sensei Seijuro Hiko was a cold-blooded human.

The poor girl told Hiko everything and it was quite important to note that whenever the name of a certain student was mentioned, who in fact was the root-cause of it all, he either scoffed or raised his bushy eyebrows.

Hiko admitted to himself that it was partially Kaoru's fault that she was hurt that moment. She should have been smart enough to ponder why someone as popular and as fortunate-looking as his stupid student, Kenshin Himura ask someone as…plain…as Kaoru out on a date. Plus, she need not those extra pounds she gained on those glamorous restaurants. Hiko could only shake his head as Kaoru continued talking. He didn't listen much because he would have settled for 'I know I was stupid to fall for his trick and fall for him afterwards' or 'I would have thought someone like him would never ask me out'.

But if narrating the whole thing would do her good, he might as well pretend to listen. He glanced at her silhouette and could not help feeling sad for her. Even at that point, he could still make out her size. She was quite fat for a teenager. She must have weighted 57 kilograms or more. But although she had pimples and was huge, she was a nice girl and that made her beautiful than the rest.

Kaoru went home that afternoon with Hiko's words emblazoned tightly in her brain.

"Go home and sleep. I would be happy if you don't come back tomorrow anymore. You know you'll be better off somewhere else" he had said after strangely giving her a hug that she felt was the last.

He was referring to the impending decision she was still to make about moving to Germany with her dad, who was in fact the Admiral of the Japanese Coast Guard. He was reassigned to Worms where he has to work for a couple of years. He had been begging Kaoru to go with him but she hasn't settled her mind yet. She yawned and stretched out her arms, catching a glimpse of her reflection. Mesmerized, she went nearer.

Kaoru sighed, turning 90 degrees to the left and back again, occasionally squeezing her belly, and waving it disdainfully on the mirror. Then she checked her height and was horrified that her 4'11 mirror was taller than her. Then she checked her pimples. They were big, red and swelling. Eventually, she lost herself in frustration and threw herself on the bed.

"I'm ugly" she told herself, brushing a tear away. "He will never love me". She told herself that over and over again until she was fast asleep. Tomorrow should be pleasing for her and she had made her decision. Germany would be where she will mend her broken heart.

Kaoru woke up with a start. She stretched out her arms as far as she possibly can and she yawned, excited towards finally going home. Home. Kaoru blinked and looked at herself in the mirror. She could not help but smile. She could not believe that it had been almost years since she had left Japan.

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****Author's Note:** I heartily dedicate this fic to all women, girls, ladies out there who don't think they're beautiful. Trust me, if you do good as much as you can, external beauty won't matter a mite. I just want to let those of you who will read this story that I am not afraid and ashamed to be plump, short and pimpled. I know my place and I know that I'm beautiful. Besides, according to the Sugababes, if I'm ugly, so is everyone else… 


	2. Chapter 1: Reunions

_Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to its copyrighted owners and no matter how much I wish I was one of 'em, I'm not._

**Chapter 1: Reunions**

The barely-lit cigarette was the only source of light in Kenshin Himura's dark quarters. Beside him, a skinny brunette moaned, stretching her arms, trying to circle his naked waist. He scowled, took in a long breath and tapped the cigar on the ashtray. Irked, he slapped the girl's arms away from him.

The brunette flinched, as if suddenly offended by his sudden coldness. She forced to get up half-bodily and hesitantly lay a finger on his shoulder. "Is something wrong, sweetheart?"

Kenshin reverted from her touch and sat down on the bed. Lazily, he reached for the cigarette box and cursed when he found out it was empty. The girl tried to calm him down by coaxing him to go back to sleep but Kenshin could barely shut his eyes. It was merely three o'clock in the morning; he had been asleep for only an hour and a half. Luckily for his whore, she had six hours of good night's rest.

Sighing bitterly, he lay himself down, stretched his arms and used it as a pillow for his head. He thought about the reunion tomorrow and felt how excited he was into seeing his old friends again. Especially, his best friend Sanosuke who was about to arrive from the America that following morning. He shut his eyes for a moment and thought about the other people whom he will meet again after three years of separation. But above that he missed his club mates, Okita, Shougo, Soujirou…and…

He opened his eyes and his mind drifted to the familiar fifteen-year old girl whom he once dated for seven days. He smiled, remembering how goofy her smile was when he told her he loved her even though she was ugly. He scoffed in disgust. Yeah, right. And there he was, thinking she was the smartest girl in the planet, not to mention the ugliest…how stupid she was for ever thinking for one second that he would fall for her. It was utterly and absolutely absurd.

A grin escaped from his lips. I guess she'd be fatter than Toromaru now, he thought, referring to the heavy-weight wrestling champion of Feryuu high, how perfect a couple they would be! And he laughed quietly, whimsical imaginations of Kaoru and Toromaru floating on the apricot ceiling. Indeed, Kaoru had been good friends with Toromaru in high school. He smiled and shut his eyes again, this time for good.

At a house twelve blocks from the Himura's, a fat man sat lonely on a swivel chair, looking at the picture which contained himself and a girl he once loved. The girl had always inspired him to do better and the fat guy could not thank her enough for being her tutor.

Sure, Toromaru had grown feelings for Kaoru but he had always kept in his mind that her heart only belonged to the captain of the Kendoh team, the most popular redhead in campus, Kenshin Himura. He had also been happy for Kaoru when Kenshin surprisingly asked her out, even though he had grim suspicions on his mind. He had reminded Kaoru to be careful but didn't press in any further because he knew it would only hurt her feelings.

True enough, the news that the going-out image of Kaoru and Kenshin was just a joke broke her heart. The following day when she found out, she dropped out of school and he never saw her again. Imagine his surprise when just that morning, she called out of nowhere and asked him to fetch her in the airport tomorrow.

Too bad he already had a girlfriend.

The airport was bursting with people when Kenshin came in to fetch Sanosuke. All the counters were filled with lining people and the escalators could barely run due to the number of people riding it. All the flights on that day were fully-booked and to his great dismay, there were no more seats available. Thank heaven it barely took five minutes before the roosterhead came waving at his face.

Kenshin was taken back a little and gave his friend a big hug, and then their very own handshake. He grinned from ear-to-ear, slapping Sanosuke on the back. "Sano! You've grown taller!"

The taller guy laughed and countered, "and you barely grew at all!" They both laughed but Kenshin was a little hurt. It was one of the things he hated about himself. His height, aside of course from that hideous cross-mark scar emblazoned on his cheek. Otherwise, he thought himself as perfect.

"Well, are we coming to the reunion tonight?" Sano asked, his arm on the other guy's shoulder.

"Of course we are!" Kenshin exclaimed, "We shouldn't miss the gazzilion sexy ladies that will be out there!"

Sano cocked his eyebrows and met Kenshin's eyes. The redhead had not changed at all. "You haven't changed a lot, have you?"

"Nope" the redhead shook his head, "not one bit"

Sano shook his head and surveyed the place. The place had not changed, either except that there was already Pizza Hut on the left wing and hundreds of gigantic dogs roamed everywhere, sniffing everyone that passes their way. His eyes fell on someone familiar, sitting alone in the airport cafeteria. At his point, he could already see how conspicuously nervous he was.

"Hey, Kenshin" he stopped short, "Isn't that fat guy over there…" he pointed towards the guy and his friend snorted.

Nodding, he answered, "Yep, that's Toromaru all right. I wonder what he's doing here."

"Shouldn't we go say hello?"

"Your ass!" the redhead exclaimed, "We haven't got time for that. They're waiting for us at the Pavilion"

Sano nodded and they left.

"Flight G567 from Bavaria, Germany has arrived. I repeat, flight G567 from Bavaria, Germany has arrived" the announcer denounced, making Toromaru jump at his feet and spill his juice all over his yellow shirt. He gave out a groan, waking to the fact that he can't possibly face Kaoru with a wet stained shirt.

He cursed, his head turning sideways to find a store that sold souvenir shirts. Bingo! He smiled as he walked quickly towards Yours and Mine. He panted first, fixed himself before asking the lady a shirt. The bespectacled middle-aged woman nodded, "That is some stain, son" and handed him a green chemise that wrote "JAPAN, where the most beautiful people live"

He loathed buying it and he hated what it said a lot more. Yeah? So where do we live then, he thought. The woman stared at him quizzically, perplexed by the face he was making. The woman cleared her throat and went, "The shirt is a hundred yen, son"

Toromaru shook his head, snapping his ill-thoughts away. He snatched his wallet and to his dismay, found out that he lacked 50 yen. "Uhm…ma'am" he managed, cold sweat dripping down his face. The woman glared, her hands on her waists. She had known that look for years.

"No can-do, sonny" she said sympathetically, "You can't have the shirt if you don't have money to pay for it"

"I'll pay for it" a familiar voice from behind offered, handing the lady 500 yen. "You may keep the change for other customers who have stained their shirts and can't afford to buy a new one even if they wanted to because they think it would matter to the person they were going to meet."

The lady didn't know how to react and uttered a simple, "Thanks"

Toromaru's jaw dropped, his eyes bulged and shock stormed his face. He searched for the words but his mouth can't seem to open. He swallowed passed his throat, his sweat bathing his nape. His brain was circling with questions. Were his eyes deceiving him or is this girl standing upfront really Kaoru?

"K-Kaoru?" he managed dazedly, his eyes fixed intently on her eyes which were hidden in big black aviators.

The young girl who had rescued him from embarrassment as she always did freed a friendly laugh and raised her shades to her head, her sapphire eyes meeting his hazel ones. The young lady inched towards him and smiled, poking his stomach. His tummy wobbled upon her touch and he laughed, realizing and was sure that the girl was none other than the big-hearted Kaoru. "You didn't have to buy a new shirt to impress me" she teased.

"I wasn't" he explained, showing her the stain. "IS-is that really you?" changing the subject.

Kaoru nodded and said, "Don't just stand there! Come here and give me a big hug!"

Toromaru wasn't so sure if he would oblige. From where he was standing, Kaoru seemed to be a universe away. He took a brief moment to study her. It was amazing how much weight she lost in just three years! She must have been thinner than Megumi, the former head cheerleader of Feryuu high! And she was taller too! Her hair was longer to the waist and her eyes had taken a deeper shade of ocean blue. Her get-up changed too. The Kaoru he remembered never wore anything other than a shirt paired with her favorite denim jumpers or a polo paired with a plaid skirt. Now, wow! She looked adorable in the tight-fitting rainbow dress and leather knee-lenght boots. Her ebony hair that always used to be in ponytails were down. Her face..her face was whiter than he remembered...and cleaner, too...no pimples...or anything like that..it looked as if it was inviting everyone who looked at it to touch it...

"I haven't changed, you know" Kaoru told him, noticing her friend carefully appraising her. "I just lost some weight but I'm still the Kaoru who ate all afternoon with you at the benches. I might not be wearing jumpers anymore...but inside here..."-she pointed to her heart-"it's me. And I miss you"

Almost in tears, the fat guy pulled her into his big arms and they stayed there for a while. Toromaru caressed her hair and brushed his falling tears away. "I know" he whispered.

Kaoru laughed and slowly pulled away. She looked at him and gave a friendly smirk. "I see you haven't changed" she poked him on the tummy.

The guy nodded, a hand rhetorically scratching the back of his head. "I know. But, there is one thing..."

"What?" her curious eyebrows raised.

"I already have a girlfriend" his voice sounded embarrassed but Kaoru giggled anyway.

"Congratulations!" she hugged him, cupping his cheeks. "I knew you had it in you. Who is she?"

He blushed and offered to carry her luggage. Kaoru obliged. "Her name's Meiko. She lives next door to mine"

"How did you meet?"

"Oh..."

And they kept talking whole morning.

The Pavilion was nothing close to a restaurant. In fact, it was barely an eatery at all! Only men went there and if there were women, they were for sale. The tables were carelessly arranged and unoccupied chairs stayed dirtily on the tables until someone decided to bring it to use. The people there were mostly gangsters, thugs and sleazes. Men who consider drinking work and working a hobby. The foods that were for sale in the Pavilion were mostly unhealthy such as jejune diets, junk foods and undercooked hamburgers. They do not sell beverages without alcohol and they do not entertain without profanities. If manly occasions such as bachelor parties, get-togethers or just simply hang-outs need a place of enactment, the Pavilion is the first place that comes to thought.

On the fourth row of tables, sat five men, distinguished from all the rest by age. They were smoking with a myriad of beers waiting to be devoured on the table. The long-haired guy was smoking, the kind-looking bloke next to him coughing in resentment.

"I'm dying here, Amakusa" the young-looking man coughed, "And you'll die too if you don't stop smoking right now"

The Amakusa he was referring to glared and scoffed at the caveat. He hated being told to do the most, even if the warning came from his friends. There was only one person that he followed, his sister. "Your death is not my concern, Okita. And so should mine concern you"

Okita smiled and opened a bottle of bear. "I'm just saying..."

"I'm just saying that you have no right to tell me what to do and what not to do" and he snatched the bottle from Okita. Fortunately, Sou Okita was one of the rare men who have very cool heads that rarely breaks loose. He always wore a smile and was never caught using force on his friends or other people. Why he was on the clique? It was because he was one heck of a swordsman! He mastered the Genjetsu at a very young age and he was vice-captain of the Kendoh team. When he had a sword in his hands, he was far the most pernicious killing-machine in Japan, however, if his hands were bare…he was as harmless as a bee.

Soujirou Seta was likewise as calm and as serene. But unlike Okita and the rest of the gang, he took no interest in women. He was polite, kind, young-looking and was infamous for his sheepish smile. When he was yet a new student in Feryuu, everybody thought he was gay. But when he joined the Kendoh club, nobody ever dared to call him a homosexual anymore.

"Cool it, guys" he smiled, "You should be ashamed of yourselves. We're here to celebrate, not fight"

"Right" Kenshin agreed, slapping Soujirou's back. "And besides, we shouldn't get too drunk. We'll have lots of those" he pointed at the bottles of beer, "at the reunion"

"Who said we were coming?" Amakusa asked curtly, taking another gulp.

The rest stopped to look at him in question. Amakusa studied each one of them and they all were obviously itching to go. For what reason, it didn't really concern him. He rolled his eyes to the cobwebbed ceiling and took another sip. "Fine" he said, giving up.

"So, have you all found dates yet?" Sano asked, changing the subject.

"Have you found yours?" Kenshin's voice was challenging.

"Of course" Sano replied proudly, opening a bottle. "I'm going with Mariko"

The redhead raised his eyebrows. "I'm with Megumi"

"I'm going with my sister" Shougo's tone was final.

"Hmmm" Okita licked his lips, "Toki"

Everyone fixed their eyes on Soujirou who was still grinning. "No one" he said.

"C'mon!" they chorused.

A little blush crept on his face and he scratched his back, "I'm going with Misao Makimachi"

The group erupted in a heartily laugh that mind, rare$ly ever happens when they hang-out. Their hang-outs were usually not for fun...in fact, those guys hardly know what fun is when they talk! They never ever laugh just like what they oddly did, they never talk about women just what they just also did and they never, EVER tell each other personal problems. All they talk about when they meet are their sword techniques, their swords or in most occasions, themselves.

This time however, was different because they had not laid eyes on each other for three years. They had lost touch since graduation because right after that, Sano flew to America, Okita and Soujirou moved to Kyoto and Shougo isolated himself in Shimabara. Only Kenshin was left in Tokyo. He never made new friends. Acquaintances, yes. Friends, nah uh. His only source of fun during days when he only had himself to hang-out with is women. He dated hundreds of beautiful women. He slept with some, introduced some to his parents but he never, not, not single one, he promised a commitment. He made it a point to every girl he asked out that he wasn't ready to settle down yet with just one. If the girl was stupid enough to take it, then lucky for him, or perhaps…her.

"Well, anyway. Let's go somewhere else for lunch. The reunion should start at 4:30" Okita suggested, pushing a bottle of beer at Seta's face.

Soujirou laughed, taking the bottle. "Since when did you take interest in reunions, Okita-san?"

Okita shrugged his shoulders, "Just now."

Kenshin stood, taking Sanosuke with him. "Okita's probably right and we have a lot to do before the reunion"

Shougo arched his eyebrows and asked in an incredulous voice, "Oh? Like what?"

Kenshin massaged his head and irked, "None of your business, Amakusa"

"That's cool" Shougo said, standing up himself. "Well, I have to go to Church. See you folks"

Okita stood up with Soujirou and all of them left Pavilion wordlessly.

ike what?"ed his eyebrows and asked in an incredulous voice, "

**A/N:**

**Blooded wings: he's a hypochondriac in terms of eating…it will be mentioned in later chapters. I'm glad you shared my sentiments about being short and all…thing is, it's not really bad because after all, most guys are tall…smirks if you know what I mean…**

**The White-tiger Natsumi-sama: Thanks…this update is for you.**

**Espiritus: Oh my God! I feel so privilege to have received a review from such a good writer like you! Thanks for the warning…I tend to be careless in writing tense-wise.**

**Royal blue-kitsune: laughs Your review was most inspiring! Thanks for the support…rarr…**

**MissTeak: Thank you very much…I really got a lot of motivation and inspiration from your review. It feels very good to know that there are a lot of writers like you who share the same feelings about true beauty like me. I hope you continue reviewing and reading..**

**Insanity's light: his face is gonna be priceless! Thanks for the review…I hope you like this update..**


	3. Chapter 2: Cory

_Disclaimer: RK was not mine, is not mine and will NEVER be mine…_

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**Chapter 2: Cory**

The Feryuu High gym seemed like the ballroom hall of Ritz, the only 6-Star hotel in Tokyo and was in fact true for the whole country. The ceiling was draped with four beautiful Victorian-inspired canopies with blue glittery balloons that contained white ones inside on each corners and on center, as if a fat imaginary chandelier. Beside the canopy drapes were star-shaped series lights that streaked the whole ceiling. The walls were re-painted not five days ago with a light color of Alice blue that seemed to discourage incoming wallflowers. The floors could hardly be seen with all the white balloons that were intentionally scattered everywhere.

The tables were covered with pink satin sheets and rose petals. There was for what seemed like a papier-mâché castle that stood on the stage, balloons rimming the borders. The board wrote "2006 Homecoming Reunion" in silver vermillion letters and the rostrum hung just below the third stair.

Everything was ready. Except for the guests…

It was four thirty in the afternoon and the Kendoh gang agreed to meet, along with their dates in the Himura mansion. The girls they brought wore extravagant gowns except for Sayo Amakusa and especially Megumi Takani. Sayo simply wore a white spaghetti-strap gown while Megumi's was a Versace halter-top green ball dress, complete with white cotton gloves. The other's were not very simple yet not very head-turning. But because men are men, not one of them even cared to compliment their dates.

Well, save Shougo who kept telling Sayo she was the most beautiful among them all. But then again, they are siblings. The guys, on the other hand, technically wore the same. The same old black tuxedo. Well, save Kenshin who was glowing with his black bow-tied Americana.

"Kenshin, darling, you look very handsome" Megumi purred, slipping her arms through his.

Kenshin straightened his collars and uttered a cold, "Thanks" without bothering to return the compliment. He wasn't really into reunions and gatherings like this because his junior prom was a complete disaster. It wasn't because he wasn't voted as Prom King because as matter of fact, he was. His only problem that night was his prom date, the fat geeky Kaoru who wore an icky brown cocktail dress instead of a gown and whose pimples still appeared visibly under her very light makeup. Worse was, the crowd took advantage of that embarrassing moment and elected her Prom Queen.

So, he had two frustrations that night. One: He has to go through with the Royalty Dance, Toast, Kiss, Cake-Eating and Ramp. Two: All the while he had to smile and pretend to like it. It was really unfortunate for him that Prom night fell into the seven day premise of the betting game.

He sighed at the thought and smiled to himself. Kaoru isn't here anymore! He thought as he took a quick glimpse at the over-made-up Megumi. He arched one eyebrow. One of the things he hated about women is how they try so hard to make themselves beautiful.

And that is also one of the spiteful things about men. They hate women who try to make themselves beautiful and they also hate women who don't. If there is one real incomprehensible species on the planet, it isn't who men think. In fact, it's the exact opposite.

The eight of them, as Soujirou was at Misao's house, got outside the mansion and slipped in the newly-bought limo of the Himura's. Kenshin tapped the driver and ordered, "Make it snappy, Seikobi. We're late"

The driver nodded and sent the car flying to Feryuu high.

Kaoru had asked Toromaru to bring his girlfriend, Meiko at the house so that they could go together. Meiko was a big woman, a few pounds less than Toromaru. She had a pretty face however and whenever she and Toromaru were together, nothing or no one else can have anything to say.

She looked beautiful in her black dress, too. But to hide her flabby arms, she cloaked them under her shawl. Toromaru insisted that she take them off but she was just as persistent. The guy had told Meiko everything about Kaoru, how she taught him a lot of things, how they ate all afternoon at the benched underneath the oak tree and how he fell in and out of love with her. It didn't bring anything up or down because the first thing Kaoru told Meiko when they first that same night met was, "You must be Meiko, right?" she'd said while pumping her hand, "You're so beautiful"

Meiko was sure she wasn't lying because her sapphire eyes told her so.

"Oh my God" Toromaru gushed slack-jawed, his eyes on the staircase. Meiko followed his gaze and her eyes bulged in amazement, her breath left her body.

Descending the staircase was an angel, who just seems to take the breath of anyone who dared to look at her. The angel smiled, her French-manicured hands sliding gently through the banister. When she got down, she turned around for them, Jasmine pervading the atmosphere.

She laughed, "Do you like it?"

Toromaru took one hand and Meiko took the other. The two exchanged glances and chorused, "Breathtaking"

Kaoru giggled, "It was my mom's"

Her gown was a Victorian-style Grecian spaghetti-strap gown that was made of the plushest draping fabric with a sort of a jade amulet embedded at the bust-line. Not only did it show how much weight she lost but also how much confidence she gained. It was the first time Kaoru Kamiya showed her skin. The faux sleeves illuminated her pale complexion and it even showed a little cleavage. (A/N: I hope some of you are okay with this)

Her hair was balled into a tuft adorned with feathers and rice pearls. Her make-up, well…it was very light…glitters…blush-on and a watery-shine lip gloss were all that colored her face. But still, she looked very beautiful.

Meiko turned her head sideways, as if there was something they were missing. "Don't you have any escort?"

"Oh" she said, stepping back. "This is Akira Kiyosato, my other best friend" and then she winked at Toromaru who was blushing.

"Hi" he said, smiling sweetly as he thrust his hands to both Meiko and Toromaru. The two gladly shook it. "We should be going" he beckoned, offering his arms to Kaoru.

"Thank you" she smiled, taking it. Then, she glanced at Toromaru and Meiko. "Let's get in the limo"

Meiko couldn't help herself but squeal. Coming from a less-than-average family, it had always been a dream to go to an eight-o'clock party, well in this case four, in a limo. Toromaru squeezed her hand and whispered, "Don't get too excited, sweetie" while Kaoru and Akira both laughed.

They were about to leave when Kaoru's governess, Ms. Aikiko Moritama greeted them in the doorway. Her almost invisible eyes serious, "Do you need a chauffer, mistress?"

Kaoru smiled and shook her head, "No but driver, yes. Could you please ask Tamayama-sama to drive for us, Moritama-san?"

But before Aikiko could nod, Kaoru's father descended the stairs and offered to drive. Now, Tetsuro-sama had just been promoted Commandant and they were supposed to be celebrating if not for the reunion. Kaoru grimaced and gave him a hug. "Dad, you don't have to! I owe you a lot already!"

His dad patted her head and grinned, "Anything for my little girl. Anyway, you look very beautiful, sweetheart"

She smirked, looking at the others, "So, I've been told"

ANd then everybody laughed. Kaoru then introduced Toromaru and Meiko to her father. After that, off they went to the greatly-anticipated homecoming reunion.

Different thoughts floated in different minds that night, that moment when they were riding the limousines. Meiko and Toromaru for example were thinking of talking the whole night beside the pool just like they always do since they met. Akira was feeling uneasy to be attending a reunion where he practically had no idea who and what kind of people he will be meeting there. But there is one particular person he wanted to see and rhetorically thank for bringing Kaoru into his life...Kenshin Himura.

The same thought was swimming in Kaoru's head. That blasted readhed. He would pay for every night she spent crying, for every morning she spend jogging and for every meal she skipped! It would be far unbearable than anything he ever bargained for, far, far worse than the consequence he would have faced loosing the bet, it would hurt a lot, lot more than the pain he caused her. His heart would break far longer than she had endured.

Tonight was payback time and everything was flowing exactly as she planned.

It was a coincidence how Misao and Soujirou both arrived with Kenshin and the rest. They acknowledged each other's presence and went inside together. Misao's jaw hung in awe, her gym, well, she was the volleyball team captain, never looked so stunning! Soujirou held her hand when she was about to separate from the group. "You're supposed to be my date" he whispered. Misao nodded and stopped squirming.

"Let's sit over there" Mariko suggested, pointing to the second table on the left side of the stage while squishing Sano's arm. Sano groaned. He didn't really like to go with Mariko because she was one of the sluttiest girl that ever walked the planet. One time, he caught her making out with Tobayashi-sensei in the Chemistry lab. The reason why he'd asked her out was because Kenshin had beat him into asking Megumi. Damn, he dated the idea that Kenshin didn't even want to date her in the first place!

The group seated themselves and the boys began talking about Seijuro Hiko who they hadn't seen for quite a while and the little tournament he promised to conduct after homecoming.

"Where do you think he is, Himura-san?" Soujirou asked.

"He's probably hiding in some dark corner drinking sake"

Okita laughed. "Oh I remember one time when he almost got fired because Tobayashi-sama caught him drinking in the lab!"

But nobody laughed. Instead, they stared at the crimson-faced Mariko who pretended not to hear. Okita's face took a confused expression, noticing the sudden silence. "Why? Did I something wrong?"

"So, why didn't he get fired?" Shougo continued, his face showing interest.

"Uhm..." Mariko interrupted, "I have to go the ladies' room"

"I'm coming with you" Megumi said.

"And me" Misao followed when Megumi gave her a dagger-glare she went, "And I'm going to get some water" but then realized that the kitchen, which was in the HE building, was too far changed, "...erm...air outside. Toki, would you like to come with me?"

The chinky-eyed girl nodded and stood up, taking Sayo with her. "Can Sayo come too?"

Misao smiled, "Of course she can" and off they went.

"What's up with those women?" Sano irked, sweeping the champagne glass to his mouth. He gulped it all and returned his gaze to his friends. Strangely, their eyes were all on the door which he had his back to. "G-guys?" he murmured, whirling his neck to follow their gaze, "What are you stari-"

But it wasn't just them who had their eyes on the newcomers. In fact, everyone who can see stared with questioning looks on their faces at the people who had just came in. Especially, the beautiful girl wearing the white gown. Not a few seconds after, both loud and soft whispers stormed across the four walls of the gym. The guys looked at the girl and the girls looked at her escort. However, it wasn't just the strange couple who caught attention but the other couple.

"Hey, Kenshin" Sano elbowed him, his eyes still on them "Isn't that Toromaru over there?"

The redhead looked closely and gasped softly, "It's him all right. But who's the couple he's with?"

"That I would want to know" Okita interrupted.

Kenshin didn't pay attention. Blood suddenly rushed towards his face and he felt it heat up like crazy. His eyes stayed glued to the girl, his face showing no emotions but awe. His jaw hung low and he tried to breathe but found it hard to do so and then he felt himself shaking. Something didn't feel right. He would have sworn he knew that girl from somewhere…but where? And why were his insides somersaulting when he met her familiar gaze? Who was she? Whoever she was, he intended to find out.

The newcomers proceeded inside and occupied the table right in front of Sano's. It was the same time the girls went back from where they went. But Kenshin was still staring at the table in front of them. Megumi's brow arched up and she touched Kenshin's arm that hung on the chair. "What are you looking at?" her voice was commanding but Kenshin didn't seem to hear. She followed his gaze and gritted her teeth.

"Who is she?" she asked no one in particular.

"Who?" Mariko questioned back.

"That slut over there" Megumi answered, pissed.

Kenshin turned around and snapped, "Shut up, Takani. You don't even know her"

"Exactly!" she hissed, "You don't even know her and you're already taking her side!"

With that, the redhead fell into silence, his head deep in thought. Takani had a point. He didn't usually care who Megumi calls names…in fact he never did care at all! He always thought backbiting was one of the basic rules of feminity. But, why did he do that? If it had been another girl, he would have just agreed without argument. Well, isn't that girl ordinary? He wanted to think so but deep inside, he was sure that there is more to her than meets the eye.

His thoughts were cut off by the sudden play of music. It was the same song they played on prom night. Geez, he thought, Not again. But it seems like he was the only one annoyed by the song because almost everybody stood up to dance. Even Shougo asked Sayo…it was just him and Megumi on the table until some weird-looking guy came up and asked her. Great timing. Now, he could just stare at…

But she wasn't there. He scratched his head and budged his eyes to the dance floor. She was there all right, dancing with her escort. He wondered sadly if he was her boyfriend. Then, suddenly something weird came up. A strange feeling he felt only once or twice in his life- jealousy. He scowled. Why would he be jealous anyway? He hadn't even met her! He turned to the table and drank the champagne. He sat up, realizing a possible reason for the sudden envy. Maybe it was the spur-of-the-moment thing a lot of girls always told him about. Simply put, maybe it was love at first sight.

A victorious smile creased the glittery lips of Kamiya Kaoru. Perfect. Everything had went as she expected and she had noticed long enough that Kenshin Himura was staring at her since the second they arrived until now. She held Akira closer, "Let me know if comes" she whispered.

Akira freed a soft chuckle and whispered back, "You got him real bad, Kaoru. He looks at you like a lunatic!"

Kaoru giggled on his neck. "I know"

"Wait, he's coming" his voice was alarming, "He's coming"

Kenshin cleared his throat and both of them stopped dancing. Akira put on his protective look that he had practiced for days and in a low baritone voice demanded, "What do you want?"

Kaoru fought hard not to laugh and retained her coolness.

Kenshin swallowed hard and glanced at Kaoru and back to Akira. "May I dance with your date?"

Akira arched an eyebrow and pretended to sound annoyed, "Well, you have to ask her"

The redhead gave her the 'will-you' look and Kaoru nodded, "Sure"

He smiled and initiated to place his hand on her thin waist and held the other in hers. Kaoru cleared her throat and put her other hand on his shoulder. She sighed, pretending to be bored.

"I'm Kenshin. Kenshin Himura" he said proudly, his eyes searching for hers. God, how beautiful she was! He smiled, finding it hard to take his eyes off her face. He sighed, feeling the sudden urge to touch it.

"Oh" she said, noticing his gaze.

He didn't totally expect that. Did he stink? Or was she just playing coy? Well, if she was, he decided to play along. He pulled her closer, "You are...?"

Now, this was the question Kaoru thought about for hours. But the answer came easily to her mind. She wouldn't lie about her name of course but she couldn't give him her real name as well. That single gesture could ruin her perfect plans. She would use her English name, the name his mother used to call her.

She faked a smile and muttered, "Cory. My name's Cory"

"Does that come with a last name?"

"You don't have to know what that is"

"You know, Cory…you look and sound very familiar" he started, making Kaoru feel nervous a little. Cory sounded real foreign coming out of his mouth. But because she had studied the situation before, she knew exactly how to react.

"Is that what you always say to girls who are stupid enough to believe you?" she said dryly, "Well, for you own information Mr. Himura, I don't fall for stupid pick-up lines like that"

Kenshin was taken back a little. He never had a girl say such things to him before. But for some odd reasons, he actually liked it. Finally, a girl with some spunk.

"It wasn't a pick-up line" he said, "You do look very familiar"

Kaoru started to feel uneasy when for the first time, her eyes met his. That strange lavender shade...if she hadn't had all this hate for him she would have just let herself drown. But because she was fed up with this pent-up urge for revenge, it was quite easy to break free from the strong gaze.

"You know, Cory" his voice was sleepy and strange. "When I look into your eyes, I remember a girl I once knew"

Now, this was interesting.

"Who?"

"Someone"

"How did you know her?"

Kenshin looked up to her with a weird look on his face and Kaoru regretted ever asking that. That might just give him something to think about. Hurriedly, she changed the subject. "Anyway, I-"

But Kenshin didn't give her a chance. "I dated her for seven days"

"You don't have to tell me if yo-"

"But she's gone now"

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. But I hope she's never coming back. That girl's a life-ruiner! The seven days I had with her was the worst in my life! I mean, can you imagine how many days my friends laughed at me after the prom disaster? It was just..ugh!" he continued on grumbling about how ugly she was and that blah, blah, blah...

Kaoru felt tears well up and she would have kicked his ass right there and then if she wanted to. But she didn't. There was another time for that. She swallowed her anger passed her throat and shut her eyes. Slowly, she broke free from his hold and flashed him a glare, "I have to go"

Kenshin gave her a mischievous grin, refusing to let her go. "Where to, Cinderella?"

That's it! That was the last straw for Kaoru. It was one of the things he despised about this guy. His good old playboy talk. On the contrary, Kenshnin enjoyed her hard-to-get personality. She snapped, slapping his hands away, "Since where did my whereabouts became your concern, anyway?"

"Whoa" Kenshin's eyes expanded, his hand attempting to touch her.

"Don't you touch me!" she hissed, her blood boiling higher. "Men like you" her voice not discreet anymore, "should be buried deep in the ground! So deep until the heat from the earth's core incinerates your sorry ass!"

Her breathing became labored, noticing that she had gathered attention. Oops. Loosing her head was not part of the plan. She cursed herself and him and stomped. She hurriedly snatched Akira from the table, said goodbye to Toromaru and Meiko and stormed out of Feryuu high.

Kenshin stood their dazedly, his brows furrowed and his forehead showed signs of a frown. Sano came up to him and tapped his shoulders. "Better luck next time, bro" he said.

The redhead could only stare at the door, asking himself what he did that made her say those. "What did I do?" he asked outloudly and saw Sano shrug his shoulders. It was when an idea struck him. She lost her temper when he mentioned Kaoru. He froze, considering the possibility. Could that sexy sophisticated beautiful Cory the fat clumsy ugly Kaoru he once knew? "Hey, Sano" he called, his head still in the clouds, "Do you think that, that girl could possibly be" he hesitated before saying her name, "K-Kaoru?"

The other man took a second to ponder and later burst in a heartily laugh. He clasped his stomach and slapped Kenshin's back. "What kind of stupid question is that?" he demanded, "Didn't you see her! That girl's the bomb! She even hit you real hard! Hello, Kenshin" he knocked on the red-haired head, "Kaoru is fat and ugly and even if she did get thin, it's practically a perchance that she'd be that beautiful!"

Kenshin pondered for a while and concluded that Sano was probably right. Cory couldn't possibly Kaoru. Her sudden change of mood was probably because she was having her monthly period. The redhead heaved a sigh of relief and asked someone else to dance.

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**A/N:**

**I apologize if I made the update quite long. It was because I was overwhelmed by the reviews. Anyway, I hope some of you won't hate me for the twist because I know exactly what you would have want to read. You know, Kenshin recognizing Kaoru and payback time! But I realize that we should let our beloved redhead suffer longer...(smirks) Oh and this is totally a K/K fic! Mwahugs!**

**Ma-meido-chan: i didn't know i wrote a tearjerker! Haha! Thanks for the short essay...it was very true and thanks for the review...**

**keena: (laughs) oh i tend to write fast when i have a lot of inspiration. I hope you like the update.**

**babybluesjaded: Go chubby girls! We rule! Haha! I haven't seen the movie but I have seen 'Real Women Have Curves'. It was very beautiful because i learned that there is more to us (chubby girls) than our bellies! Thanks for the review.  
KRASH: (laughs) i totally love you! You know, i suck at sports too and I absolutely adore chocolate! I also had a lot of people call me names but it doesn't matter to me because i know they are just insecured with who they are that's why they take it on others. Thanks..**

**antica: (trembles) i really hope you won't hate me for this update...hehe..thanks for the review!**

**Rainer's cherub: Oh shut up, cuz! You totally had me there...don't worry, I'll read your story too. Thanks for the review, anyway. Love you..**

**Michiko: there's totally nothing wrong with your grammar and im very glad my story reached out to you...you go girl! Actually, we kind of have the same story except that it's the reverse. when i went to germany, i was thin and when i went back to my country, i gained a hell lot of pounds! Haha! Anyway, thanks for ur review...**

**blooded wyngs: (laughs) Ur right on the Hiko-being-a-hypochondriac issue and on the men-practicing-their-masculinity-on-petite-women! (rolls to the floor) I love ur review...hope u like the update. oh and this is generally not a dark fic...although i have plans of partially making it so...**

**anonymous: i totally agree with you on that issue because i've had a lot people say true beauty lies within and is still super-conscious of how they looklike! Tsk..tsk..tsk...a very dreadful irony...anyway...thanks for the review. im sorry if i made kaoru ugly...(smirks)**

**serphtears&Kaori-angel: Thanks and i dedicate this update to you both..arigatou!**

**royal bluekitsune: (laughs) Yeah, well i sort of figured if kenshin had been by himself without any friends for years, he would technically resort to smoking and sex. i apologize if u don't quite disapprove of the smoking part...but thanks for ur cute review anyway...**

**gabyhyatt: (bows head and toys fingers) neh? im really sorry if u don't like the idea of revenge but speaking about karma, the story partially revolves around the concept. what goes around comes around and im glad you felt sorry for Kenshin. (chuckles) thanks for the review!**


	4. Chapter 3: Shopping

_Disclaimer: I have lighted too many candles, performed too many rituals and decapitated too many chickens and failed too many times to say that I own Rurouni Kenshin._

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**Chapter 3: Shopping**

The night was a memory. Kaoru felt her muscles tense up and she almost jumped when Akira suddenly touched her shoulder.

"Geez, Kaoru" he said, "Cool down a little bit"

The girl sighed and leaned on his shoulder. "He's an asshole" she cried, sniffing in disdain. Akira smiled to himself and stroke her hair that once was a beautiful top-knot now a mess. The scene had always been like that whenever one of them has problem. Kaoru was just thankful that Akira had agreed to come home to Japan. Only, he came two days before her. After all, she was in Germany and he was in Flushing, New York. But they were still best friends because Kaoru and her dad make it a point to visit the Kiyosatos every Christmas and summer.

Akira Kiyosato was Kaoru's second cousin from her mom's side. Akira's dad and her mother were cousins. His mom was half-American and half-Japanese and Akira had lived in America his whole life. However, his father and mother spoke Japanese around the house because they wanted him to speak his native tongue and they took Akira to Japan every two years.

Their families had a close tie and Akira's mother, Maria called Kaoru by her English name, Cory. Kaoru loathed it at first because she thought it made her look old but when she got used to it, she learned to like it herself. Right after her dad was promoted to the second-highest rank in the Japanese Coast Guard, they decided to leave Germany and stay in Japan for good.

"Hey, Kao...do you wanna go shopping tomorrow?" Akira poked her. The girl stirred and looked up to meet his eyes. She smiled and pinched his nose. Akria laughed and squeezed hers harder.

"Aww!" she cried, "You're going to give me a nosebleed!"

"Well you started it!" he guffawed. "Well, will you go the mall with me? You know..." he said, his tone serious. He took her hand and toyed with it. "...so you could forget everything that happened tonight"

Kaoru smiled and leaned back on his shoulder. "Our plan A failed" she sighed, "damn him! I should have kept my cool! It's just that when he started insulting me while he was obviously flirting with me, urgh! I just want...urgh! I really hate him!"

"How about that mall?"

Kaoru whacked him on the arm. Akira scowled but then laughed it away. He took the remaining feather on her head and sloswly teased her nose with it. "Well?"

She irked, "Stop it! Well, okay. And besides, I need to buy new undergarments"

Akira froze with his eyes widening. He took her chin and made her face him. "What?"

The girl bobbed her lips and tried to look serious, "Under wears. You know, panties, bras-"

He gave her the don't-play-coy-around-me look and banged his head against hers. "No underwears" he murmured.

"But I need them!"

"What? So that means you're not wearing any underwear right now"

Kaoru flushed and drummed hard on his head, "You dummy! Of course I am!"

"Oh yeah?" he questioned, his voice incredulous and challenging. "Can I have a look?"

"You jerk!" she cried, her small fists drumming his arms, "You mean jerk! I totally hate you right now!"

"Hey, hey" he jokingly said in defense, catching her fists in his hands. "I was only trying to cheer you up"

And they both erupted in a vigorous laugh, each of their hands on their stomachs. They looked at each other and laughed again. Tomoyama-sama, who was the secretary of Kaoru's father could only shrug his shoulders. Kids. How happy they seemed to be. When the laughter finally broke off, Kaoru faced Akira and kissed him lightly on the cheek, "Thanks" The night turned okay after all.

The reunion, on the other hand was almost at a close. The organizers of the reunion, which were the seniors for that year was now thanking the alumni for coming and bade everyone to have once last dance.

Megumi came up to Kenshin who was now sitting silently on their table, his hand holding an unlit cigarette. "Won't you ask me to dance?"

Kenshin scoffed and glared at her, "No"

Peeved, she sat down beside him. "If you don't ask me to dance, I'll go dance with someone else"

The redhead freed a crisp laugh. With a dismissive gesture, he grinned, "Go ahead while I pretend to care"

"Urgh!" she stomped hard and hissed, "You're going to regret this night, Himura"

He fanned the threat away and lighted his cigarette. He knew Megumi enough to take her empty-threats seriously. For all he knew, she would, for sure, call him later tonight. He sighed as he pulled out a long breath.

"Baka deshi" he heard someone say, "You're going to die if you don't quit that"

He turned around to see who it was and found himself unsurprised to see his Kendo master, Seijuro Hiko. Seeing him wearing a nut-brown tux would have urged him to laugh but since he had his nerves all jumpy, he couldn't force even a smile. "Hey, sensei"

The burly man pulled the chair beside him and sat down. "There's a Kendo tournament this week. All the alumni have signed up except for your batch. I already told Amakusa about and he seemed to like the idea. Will you join?"

Kenshin puffed some smoke out and nodded, "Yeah, sure"

"Great" Hiko nodded, standing up.

"Wait"

"What?"

Kenshin hesitated for a while and gave Hiko a is-Kaoru-going-too look. Hiko smirked and flipped his hair. "Hmmm" he said, "I don't know"

But the truth is, Kaoru had already signed up and he actually connived with her in this teach-Himura-a-lesson scheme. She had called Hiko a week before she flew back to Japan and told him her plans. Hiko disapproved at first but because Kenshin also owed him a lot he finally agreed. He also conceded to conceal her true identity until such time that she was ready to tell Kenshin and his bunch of stupid friends who she really was and what she was capable of doing.

Kenshin resumed smoking his cigarette, not even noticing that the last dance was coming to a finish. He freed a hard long breath. He hadn't expected that night to be such a waste. And it all pointed back to the beautiful short-tempered Cory. He blamed it all on her but found himself oddly thinking about her eyes all the time.

The song had finally ended and the people slowly emptied the gym. Sano and the guys came over to the table and asked him the matter. Feeling himself suddenly miffed, he shrugged some shoulders and stood up wordlessly. He would drive himself home and sleep all his thoughts away.

Now, Kenshin's parents when he was seven and was then, taken care of by his mother's sister Ayame Takahashi and her husband Aburo Matsuriori. Even though Kenshin never felt a certain longing for parental love as his guardians loved him very well, they lacked to give him one thing that he craved all his life- attention.

His shoulders were slumped when he came home, his jacket hanging limply on his back. Ayame greeted him with a smile. "So how did it go?"

"Okay" he lied, sitting down the sofa.

Unfortunately for Kenshin though, Ayame had a good radar for lies and she had always known Kenshin to be an inveterate liar, although not really in a bad way. The things he lied about were usually things that involved his emotions. Like when he always pretends to like eating carrots because he knew that those were Ayame's favorite. Or when he tries to feel bad about something when he actually is happy about it.

Ayame sat beside him and placed a comforting hand on his knee. "Why don't we go shopping tomorrow? I'm sure you'll feel better" she offered, assured that he wouldn't say no if she asked because the only time when he defied her was when he joined the Kendo team.

The redhead groaned and scratched his head. "Do we really have to"  
Ayame's hazel eyes twinkled in excitement and she squeezed his arm. "C'mon. A little shopping will surely do you good"

His lips puckered into a frown but when her eyes start to twinkle, he couldn't find it in himself to disagree or refuse. "Oh okay" his voice tired, "But no going into underwear stores. You totally embarrassed me when my friends saw us at the lingerie section. They called me gay for days!"

She laughed. He always shoved that lingerie incident at her face whenever shopping suddenly pops out in the conversation. It was when he was 16 years old and they were both doing some groceries for Christmas. Luckily for her and unluckily for him, the lingerie section of the mall had a 50-80 sale. She gave him a smirk, "I can't promise you that. There might be a summer sale or something"

Aww man" he grumbled.

"Well, Kenshin" Ayame said, "It's time to go to bed. The mall's opening up early" she winked and then went upstairs.

The redhead moaned and collapsed in the sofa. Shopping topped number one in his most-hateful-activities list. He only went shopping to buy clothes, but then he rarely buys clothes. Another is to hang-out and eat with his friends or his girl friends. And if there is one thing a girl can never force him do, well except for Ayame that is, is go shopping.

But he had no idea his mind was about to change.

Akira had already been awake before Kaoru scurried to the kitchen for breakfast. It was her turn to do the cooking. It was a Sunday and all the maids took their day off. Fortunately for Kaoru's father, Akira had took the initiative to make pancakes and cook some eggs and hotdogs even before Kaoru had the chance to take hold of any cooking utensil. Tetsuro suddenly came in and sniffed the scrumptious odor. He rubbed his rumbling tummy and sat himself down. 'Finally', he thought, 'real food'.

Tetsuro, a great cook himself, wanted to go on pretending his daughter's concoction tasted great but as each Sunday passed when all he ate were burnt pancakes, undercooked hotdogs and soggy, watery sunny side-ups, he decided that it has to stop. It was when he made a deal with Kaoru. They will take turns cooking breakfast. But since he always woke up late, his plan went down the drain because by time he was already up, his burnt or undercooked breakfast was already smiling at him on the table. That's why he was more than thankful that for once in a while; he would finally taste real food on a Sunday morning.

Kaoru tugged a strand of hair and tried to extricate a tangle. "Who are you to make my father breakfast?" she glared jokingly at Akira.

"I apologize, Kamiya-san" he bowed with a wooden ladle in his hand, "but I don't think it won't do any harm if I cook the honorable Commandant" he shot Tetsuro a look and gave him a salute, "a delicious breakfast" He made it a point to give emphasis on delicious.

Kaoru irked, pulling up a chair. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Akira pursed his lips and started putting rice into Kaoru's plate. "This" he said, adding a burgundy-colored meat "is my specialty. Pork tenderloin marinated in red wine"

"You're suppose to make breakfast, Akira" she remarked, staring intently at the red piece of meat, "not lunch"

"Oh, I figured it might be nice for Kamiya-sama to eat something healthy for a change. I heard all he eats for breakfast are either burned pancakes or- "

"Point taken" she cut him off and stuffed the food into her mouth. She took a few seconds to chew them. She swallowed and drank her mango juice. She glance at Akira and suppressed her laughter.

"So?" Akira asked, one eyebrow arched up.

"I don't know…" Kaoru lied, making a confused face. "What do you think, daddy?"

But her dad wasn't listening because he was totally preoccupied eating. It was as if their existence suddenly evaporated because of the food. Kaoru bit her lip. Obviously, her father liked it and it would be a lie if she said it didn't taste good.

"Well" Akira said, his voice triumphant. He clapped his hand against the ladle. "It seems I'm a better cook than you"

She scoffed. "Whatever" and continued eating. "Just sit here and eat"

The guy chuckled and helped himself with his creation. Before having his first spoonful, he winked at Kaoru, "Kaoru-zero. Akira-two"

Wide eyed, she walloped him on the arm. "Where did the other one come from?"

"Do you want me to go over about how your plan failed last night and how you acted like an insane pysch-"

"Okay, okay" she gushed, "You win."

Both of them smiled and went on to finish their delectable meal.

"Kenshin!" Ayame called out to the stairs, straightening her buric hat, "We're gonna be late!"

Kenshin went down lazily, wearing only a semi-buttoned polo and black khakis. He grunted, blowing his red bangs away from his obviously annoyed face. "Since when did the mall require a particular time for shopping?"

"Oh" she said, pulling his hand, "It's Sunday and the mall's gonna be bursting with people!"

The redhead scowled and let himself be carried away to the one place he hated the most.

In contrast to what Ayame predicted, the mall that day was bursting with quiet instead of people. There were people but not to be considered many. Only few were squandering around, most of them merely window-shoppers. The groceries were located at the second floor where, not really coincidental, the lingerie section was situated, too.

Akira and Kaoru had been in the women's section a lot of time before. It was either Akira lost a pair of boxers or Kaoru just was in the mood to buy new undergarments. She was having fun rummaging through the pile of on-sale panties while Akira enjoyed himself scrutinizing the different sizes and styles of bras.

"Hey Kaoru" he called, poking her shoulder, "what sort of cup is this one?" and he wielded the c-cup bra at Kaoru's face. The girl's brows furrowed and he snatched the garment from his hand.

"This" she glared at him, "is a C cup"

"Oh" he nodded, glancing at the garment and Kaoru's chest. Kaoru fumed, walloping him on the head with a panty. "You pervert!" she stomped, "Return this right now" handing him the bra. Akira smiled and did her bidding.

It took Kaoru no less that half an hour to finally find the right knickers for her and proceeded to pay it in one of the counters. Akira followed silently. The girl took a moment to think and remembered they ran out of milk yesterday. She elbowed Akira and when he didn't pay attention pinched his arm.

"Aw!" he jumped, "that hurt!"

Kaoru gave him a smile and carried on to her orders. "Why don't you go to the grocery and buy some milk? We ran out yesterday"

But Akira wasn't budging.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Okay. Could you PLEASE buy some milk, Akira?"

The guy stirred a little, took in some few moments and then moved towards the door. "I'll be along in a minute!" Kaoru yelled when he was almost out.

Now, the grocery was unbelievably almost close to an empty. There were one or two counters occupied and few countable people looking around for something to buy. Akira's brows puckered up and asked the counter-lady what happened.

"There's an opening of a beach resort today and Hattie's has a Buy 1 Take 3 promo. It's their 3rd anniversary today. Everybody's there" she explained while chewing on a gum.

Akira nodded. So that would be good because one of the things he hated about shopping is the horrible number of people lining up at a counter and when, which happens on most occasions, he comes in last or second-to-the-last. But other than that, he loved the mall. Especially, when it was Kaoru he was shopping with.

Speaking of Kaoru, she caught up with him in no less than a minute and was as surprised as he was. The grocery was always one of the places in the mall that would be overcrowded during weekends.

"What happened?" she asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"There's a resort opening to day and Hattie's has a Buy 1 Take 3 promo with regards to their 3rd year anniversary. Everybody's there" he repeated what the lady said.

Kaoru nodded. "Okay. So then, let's go and get that milk so we can go to Hattie's"

Akira frowned.

"I'm kidding"

He sighed, not taking the frown off. "That wasn't funny. Anyway, I'll go get the milk and you get some eggs."

"What for?"

"You'll know" He gave her a sheepish grin and proceeded to the dairy section.

She smiled. She likes it when Akira starts to act all mysterious. It sort of, in some strange way, livens up her soul. She waited for him to disappear and headed towards where the eggs were usually found.

"Eggs on Sale" the sign above the pile of tray of eggs read.

A wide beam escaped from Kaoru's lips and started to get three trays of eggs at the price of one. She smiled again and confident that she was alone in that section, carelessly turned around and in a spur-of-a-moment knocked a person over, the three trays if eggs at the price of one all broken all over his face and body.

Kenshin was horrified to know that the underwear section was on sale and he couldn't do anything to force Ayame not to go since there were only few people in the place. He started to sulk again so Ayame gave him a list of things to buy and went on searching happily through the big pile of panties.

The list Ayame gave to Kenshin consisted most of veggies and dairy products. But the first thing that was on it were eggs. The redhead scratched his head and turned his red head sideways, his eyes keen for the word 'eggs'. And there it was, a sign that read, "Eggs on Sale" Great. Three trays of eggs at the price of one.

This was probably his day.

Also, a girl was already picking trays of eggs, her ebony hair swaying on her waist. Kenshin then seized the opportunity to pull out a practical joke and see if she drops her eggs when he silently taps her shoulder. Quietly, he inched towards the back of the girl, careful not to make a single sound. Finally, he made it without causing the girl to suspect anything. He grinned, his distance from her back not merely five inches.

However, it was the girl that took him by surprise for when he was about to lay a finger on her shoulder, she turned around and accidentally pushed him with the tray of eggs she was carrying. His eyes bulged as he fell headfirst to the ground, the eggs she had been carrying breaking all over his body. He heard the girl gasp and saw her kneel beside him.

Hurriedly, she helped him up and asked him if he was okay. Okay? Did he look okay? This infuriated him a lot. He angrily slapped the hand that was on his shoulder and wiped the eggs away from his face with his hands.

Another gasp escaped from the girl's lips, only this time, it was accompanied by his own. It was the girl he danced with at the reunion last night, the girl that kept him awake thinking last night, the girl that yelled at him and insulted last night. He scoffed in incredulity and she scoffed in disbelief.

No way.

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**A/N:**

**I'm sorry if this it took a while for me to update this chapter, we had an outing yesterday and I only had the chance to finish it this morning so gomen minna-san! Well, anyway, I hope you liked this one.**

**Serphtears: thanks…I hope u like this update…**

**Gabyhyatt: u mean my fic is a waste of time just because it revolves around the idea of revenge? I don't mean to sound harsh but as far as writing is concerned, revenge is one of the prevailing themes of literature, regardless of whether it's bad or not. Anyhow, thanks and I hope you still continue reading this fic…I'm really sorry if you disapprove of it…**

**Blooded wyngs: oh, well…yes but you see, Tamayama was the assistant of Kaoru's father and Moritama was like a mother to Kaoru that's why she respects them both. And Tetsuro calling someone with sama…I guess you must have read Tetsuro-sama…it's his name! Nyahaha! Well, speaking of Tetsuro being his name, I really don't know that it was Koshijiro or something…I just made Tetsuro up! Nyahaha! I'm really sorry…but if you want it to be Kosijiro…I could always change it to Koshijiro…just say and I will…oh…and about Akira. Well, he would make a lovely rival for Kenshin. (smirks) Yes, Tomoe will appear soon. Thanks and hope u like this one…**

**Kaori-angel: oh yeah…and don't worry…I'll make them suffer as well! And about Kenshin recognizing Kaoru…it happen soon! Actually, I'm very much itching to write that chapter! Thanks.**

**Antica: (laughs) I'm glad u didn't…thanks…**

**Prohibited: thanks for the rev and I do hope to see u around..haha**

**RC: I already read ur story…u are so mean! You update soon, okay? About Toromaru…I just thinks he's cute and I like him…haha**

**Insanity's Light: It's okay and I hope you like this chappie because she socked it to him real hard!**

**Baby blues jaded: Oh, you should watch it! And hell, yes, it's the kind of movie people should watch. Don't let other people get to you because it'll push you lower. You go, girl!**

**Royal bluekitsune: haha…thanks for your review…and thanks for the note. You inspire me a lot.  
Keena: (trembles) im afraid of you…(laughs) I'm really sorry it took a while for me to update..anyhow…thank you.**

**Blueangel-maggie: (raises eyebrows) what's with the blue thingy? (laughs) I'm glad you like it and thanks for the review!**


	5. Chapter 4: Times

_Disclaimer: I don't own RK in any way...well I do,in my dreams..._

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**Chapter 4: Times**

Kaoru's eyes were almost popping out of their sockets. Of all people she could bump with three trays of eggs at the price of one, it was him! And he looked very angry, too. But it wasn't her fault either! If he hadn't stood that close, she wouldn't have bumped him when she turned around! And why would he be standing close anyway? It's not like she occupied every single space in that section...

And what's more, he slapped her hand like she was a goddamned man! And that slapping part prompted her to loose her temper as well. She did try to help him, didn't she? And she apologized for the sake of heaven!

"Oh" she said dryly, getting rid of the splattered egg yolks on her blouse. "It's just you so there's no point in apologizing"

For the first time, Kaoru talked to him as herself, not as Cory. But Kenshin didn't seem to notice the difference. His face was blank, as if he was still thinking how to react. He rubbed some egg white from his eyes and blinked to confirm if she really was real.

"C-Cory?" he asked unsurely, but his wet face wore a sweet smile.

Kaoru's face went blank, her eyes intently fixed on his. Wasn't he supposed to be mad? Her eyes narrowed, swimming deeper into his lavender ocean. Those eyes. They looked so far away but still she wanted to reach out and touch them. For a moment she stood transfixed, almost loosing herself into his purple orbs.

"Cory" he whispered, his hands on both her shoulders, "Are you okay?"

Kaoru shook her head, his low voice that contained concern penetrating into her thoughts. What was she thinking anyway? She looked down and saw his hands on her shoulders. She backed away roughly, her face bitter. "Don't touch me!" she hissed.

The redhead was taken back a little. It was she who bumped him and bathed him in three trays of eggs at the price of one! How dare she have a right to get angry with him! And to think, he treated her nicely. He was about to snap back when he heard Ayume's loud gasp.

"Kenshin!" she yelled, rushing towards the egg-covered redhead. "What happened?"

Kaoru and Kenshin exchanged glances. The girl was about to speak but the boy beat her to it.

"It's my entire fault" he started, making Kaoru feel a little uneasy. "I was trying to scare her to see if she'll drop her eggs when I do but then she sort of got me frightened when she turned around and I guess the eggs falling on me was just inevitable"

Kaoru's eyes widened. That jerk! He deserved all the eggs he got…she was about to add something else and tell Ayame, whom she knew and noted to be a lot prettier than when she left a piece of her mind when Akira rushed in and freed a gasp.

"Cory!" he exclaimed, "What did you do?"

His eyes were fixed on Kenshin and then he glanced about Kaoru and gave her a did-you-do-this look. Kaoru shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Sheer incredulity smeared his face and he turned to Kenshin.

"Are you okay, Mr. Himura?" he asked.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "How do you know me?"

"Oh" Akira smiled; pointing to Kaoru whose face was quite unfathomable at that moment. "She told me everything about you"

Kaoru smacked her head and cursed Akira in her mind. She cooled herself down and hesitantly met the eyes of Kenshin. His face was a mixture of surprise and amusement. Surprise because all the while he thought she hated his guts and amusement because he didn't think she'd like him ever! I mean, what else could her talking about him mean?

The three of them were now staring at Kaoru, whose face was still red as Kenshin's hair. 'This all Akira's fault!' she cursed, and then feigned a smile. "What Akira means is that I told him about you when he asked who it was I was dancing with and I was yel-" she broke off, remembering that Ayame was there.

Kaoru could see a tad disappointment in Kenshin's face and he ducked his head, unbuttoning his polo. Blood immediately rushed to Kaoru's face and she found herself flushing again. God! He still possessed that wonderful pale body! She averted her eyes towards Ayame and bowed her head.

"I apologize for knocking him over" she smiled apologetically.

Ayame, shook her head returning the smile. "It's okay, Ms..."

Kaoru eyed Akira and then stuttered, "Cory" she thrust her hand to her, "Cory Kiyosato"

Ayame took her hand while Akira pretended to cough. This was unexpected. Although as much as she didn't want to lie to Ayame, she had to because Kenshin was there, watching while unbuttoning his shirt.

Akira neared Kaoru and started to whisper something. "This is your chance, Kao. Go ahead and make him pay, although I don't know how you knew he was here"

"I didn't" she whispered back, "It was an accident"

Akira shrugged and pushed her towards Ayame and Kenshin talking. She cleared her throat and glanced at the two back and forth. "Let me at least make it up to you. I'll treat you to lunch"

The older woman looked at Kenshin and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Kiyosato but I have to go home and cook for my husband" she said, "I'm sure the two of you would be better off alone"

Kaoru frowned at Akira.

"Uhm...Ma'am" Akira rushed towards Ayame, "let me drive you home. I can't stay as well because I have other plans" he said, his beam wide. The woman nodded and both proceeded to the car.

Kaoru stood with her back against Kenshin. She gulped. She didn't know this would feel this hard. She swallowed the building lump on her throat and hesitantly turned around only to meet one of his strong gazes.

Kenshin suddenly came to a halt, his heart skipping a beat. Her sapphire eyes were more than familiar to him; it was as if it had looked at him a lot of times before. But these eyes were different; they weren't flaming with affectation as he had imagined it would. Instead, it flashed out something else...something he didn't quite get yet at that moment.

Kaoru shook her head, breaking their two-minute eye-gazing. She gulped again, daring herself to go near him. She thought she could hide her strong emotions when she spoke but her own mouth failed her.

"S-so…" she broke off, embarrassed by the constant shivering of her voice.

"Don't worry about it" feeling a little tingle looking at her crimson face. "You don't have to treat me to lunch. It's my entire fault anyway. I shouldn't have done what I did so you wouldn't have done what" he chuckled, "you did"

But his being nice only ticked Kaoru off and got herself to straighten up. She smiled cruelly, "Whatever" she said, "I'm going to get you lunch and take you somewhere where you could change"

The guy blinked and, to Kaoru's immediate surprise, took her hand. "Let's go to my house then and it'll be my pleasure to cook you lunch." He beckoned his voice unable to contain his excitement. "Or you could cook me instead"

She frowned, "I don't cook"

Kenshin was a bit surprised of how frank she was. Mostly, girls always lied about things their not good at but she didn't even hesitate! But it wasn't just that, which surprised him. He found himself mysteriously more attracted to her than last night and not caring at all whether she could cook or not! It surprised him a lot because her ideals for the perfect girl always include the ability to cook him a hearty meal. But oddly, Cory's incapability of doing just that didn't matter as much as he thought it would.

"Okay" he finally said, "Then I'll cook for you. Well, should we go?"

Kaoru sighed, "I'm not really sure"

But of course she wasn't. She wasn't sure of anything anymore. She didn't anticipate his reactions at all! Never in the world did she think he would actually manage to give her a smile after knocking him over with three trays of eggs at the price of one! It just didn't make sense. The Kenshin she had known, regardless of the gender of his aggravator, have had thrown tantrums by now or threatening the poor person of filing a physical injury complaint.

She knew this very well because she had gone through with it herself. It was just a minor incident really that happened sometime during their junior year. They two had already known each other since second grade but that mere acquaintanceship never evolved into something more intimate like friendship. They belonged to the same club every school year but none of them felt like there was a need to start a conversation. Things were like that until high school.

Kaoru was assigned to do decorations for the stage wall for the annual spring fling, along with Kenshin and the rest of the Kendo club. Technically, Kaoru did most of the job with the help of the art club president who was one of her friends, Shiborumaru. The only time the rest of the team helped was when Seijuro Hiko supervised and Kaoru, being the meek little lamb that she was, kept herself silent for fear that the group might not talk to her anymore.

Well, except for Kenshin, she talked a lot with the rest of the group but the guys never, not a single second, thought or considered her a part of the club. So then, it was the day before the event and the decorations were almost done. Kaoru was on the last step of a metal ladder, painting the top of the wall. The group was beneath her, talking like she didn't exist. Kaoru, feeling her inside ready to explode, heard herself yell to the people below.

"A little help here please" she heard herself say.

Of course, the evil group found the opportunity to pull out a prank and chose among themselves the person who would do the evil trick. Luckily or unluckily, Kenshin was the chosen one. At that time, he felt fortunate to have been the one doing it because he shared the group's resentment towards having a female member.

Kaoru was holding a blue paint at that time as she was finishing the details for the sky when suddenly, a certain redhead shook her ladder, of course, the action prompting her to loose her balance and drop the paint she was taking hold of. And who of course should be bathed in the blue paint she dropped but the person who made it fall in the first place?

She had her leg fractured from the fall. But did her teammates even care? No. Did they apologize in the least? No. As a point of fact, they hated her even more! Kenshin, now topping the list of her haters. He threw one hell of a temper fit during the incident, punching every wall he took hold of and he swore to himself that if Kaoru hadn't been hurt herself, he would have kicked her fat ass and broke her face until she couldn't bear to show it to anyone anymore.

One thing led to another. Physical pain now evolved to emotional agony. The betting game took occurrence during their late senior year. The Kendo team realized that if they couldn't get rid of Kaoru by physical means, then they would do it the emotional way. The plan was to date her for seven days and dump her after that. Unfortunately for the chosen one, he would have to take that girl to the prom for everyone to see and unravel the truth later that night for everyone to know that all of it was a joke.

Kenshin considered senior year as a balance bad luck and victory. Bad luck because of all the people the damn wine bottle pointed to, it pointed to him to do the job. Victory because the day right after prom, she left Feryuu high and was unheard of since.

But Kaoru wouldn't just let them go without having to pay for every single injury they've caused her. Especially, Kenshin. She vowed to herself she would make him feel everything she felt. The hurt, all the pain, the sleepless nights. All of it. She would make him pay. Him and the rest of the Kendo pigs.

'Just you wait 'til game day, Himura' she swore to herself, 'I'll show you what Kamiya Kaoru is capable of doing'

The anger welled up suddenly inside her, her own hands urging her to go and beat him until he dies. But she temporarily endured the urge and tried to calm herself. 'This isn't the time yet' she promptly told herself.

Kenshin, noticing the sudden change of her face, neared her and laid a wet sticky hand on Kaoru's forehead. "Are you sick or something?" he asked worriedly, "You look…flushed"

Kaoru slapped his hand away and snapped, "I'm fine" She snatched her handkerchief from her bag and wiped her forehead. "I have one favor to ask you, Himura"

"You can call me Kenshin"

"Okay" she nodded, "I have a favor to ask you, Himura"

Kenshin frowned. "What?"

"Take your hands off me until you get dry"

Kenshin stopped himself from scoffing and just followed her out. Hundreds of eyes were on him when they stepped out. He looked down and realized he was still topless. He blushed a little.

But Kaoru didn't seem to care. She hailed a taxi cab and Kenshin told the driver where to go.

As always when she drove down to Tokyo's main street, Tomoe Yukishiro felt a warm glow of contentment. Moving to Japan from New York had been the best thing she'd ever done. She loved the Tokyo dojos with their ageless grandeur and she also loves its villages with their clusters of stone-built cottages, their gritty timelessness that many said had last for so many centuries and would do so for centuries to come. She grimaced faintly, as she stopped her car outside the restaurant she owned jointly with her friend and partner, Tae Sekihara.

"There you are" Tae smiled in welcome as she walked in "I was about to close up"

During Sundays, the restaurant only opened until ten in the morning. The rest of the day was taken off by the employees and the employers.

"I stopped off to see Misao" Tomoe explained. Misao Makimachi was one of the restaurant's best waiter, and one of the youngest. There had been a Misao as long as their had been an Akabeko, which was the name of their restaurant. But Misao was alone now and Tomoe had taken care of her ever since. Her parents had died in a car accident.

"She's at home already" Tae replied, locking the doors. "Aren't you going home yet?"

The dark-haired girl shook his head. "Nope" she answered, "I have an appointment with an old friend. He called me yesterday and told me he wanted to see me."

"Do you mind if I ask who?"

"Actually, I can't quite remember so myself. All I remember is that we were classmates in third grade"

"You mean he's a foreigner?" Tae's voice now sounded interested. Tomoe had only been home for five years. The rest of her life was spent with her family in New York City.

Tomoe chuckled, "No. He's Japanese."

The other girl looked confused. Tomoe continued, "His mother is half-American that's why he lives there. Now, he's come home!"

"Oh" she nodded, "Well, I guess you better keep going. You wouldn't want to be late on your first meeting here in Japan"

She laughed and drove off to their rendezvous.

Akira sat on one of the golden chairs of the Jewel, one of the most costly restaurants in the country. He had eaten there only once when both Kaoru and he arrived. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his hands trembling on his lap. Finally, he would meet her again after such a long time.

He only hated one thing. He wasn't able to tell Kaoru that he finally located his only friend in New York. He spun his head sideways, hoping to finally lay eyes on her after she left. She said she wanted to get away from her parents, that's why she went back here on her own. But before she did, she made a point to give him a contact number in case he wanted to see her when he comes back himself.

And now he is back.

The tall dark-haired girl swung the gigantic doors of the Jewel open and had her black eyes search for her date. She smiled as she hurried to where he was seated. He stood up, and with obviously trembling hands wiped his perspiration. The girl laughed. He hadn't changed at all.

"Akira" she voiced out, her arms opening for him to take.

Akira was hesitant but found his arms on her waists, their bodies tangled into a warm but friendly hug. He broke free and stared deeply into her eyes. "Tomoe" he murmured, taking her pale hands in his.

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**A/N:**

**I just reposted this chapter due to a minor error...thanks for the important note, Serphtears!**

**Sonia, Onhiro, Ohagi-chan and Jasmine blossom625: thanks for your reviews. I'm glad you liked the egg chappie...(laughs) and I hope you like this update, too.**

**Seta-girl, Insanity's Light and antica: There's a lot of redhead-torture coming, don't worry about it. Thanks.**

**Royal bluekitsune: oh thanks...and I update regularly because you review regularly...thanks a lot!**

**Shizuru-san: I've decided to put Tomoe in this chapter since a lot of you want her to show up already...and her effect will take place in later chapters. Thanks...thanks for the review!**

**Ame Ulan: No...unfortunately, haven't heard it yet the lines you just stated were true. And sorry for the mistakes, I'm not really fond of proofreading myown work. Sorry (chuckles) and thanks again..**

**Shana: (laughs) Yeah, go Kaoru!**

**Kaori-angel: thanks and maybe I will number that chapter six...maybe...(chuckles)**

**Gabyhyatt: im glad, thanks...**

**Blooded wyngs: (sighs) okay, then. That's right...I'm dying to write it! Well, wish me luck and thanks for your review!**

**Serphtears: I'm glad you liked it...thanks for the review.**


	6. Chapter 5: Unexpected

_Disclaimer: RK belongs to Nobohiru Watsuki, Shounen Jump, Sony and all of its other copyrighted owners, for which I, sadly, am not included._

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**Chapter 5: Unexpected**

The cab lolled to a stop in front of the Himura mansion, which, Kaoru intelligently noted, hadn't changed one bit. The tamarisks where she used hide as a kid were still standing green just beside the wooden table where, if she remembered correctly, her mother and Ayame would chat all afternoon.

Yes, her mother and Ayame were close friends and the former often bought her if she came to visit the Himura mansion where Ayame had lived ever since her sister, Kenshin's mother died with her husband. And yes, she knew Kenshin that long but not once did he took notice of her existence during her short stay in their house just as he always did in school.

Kaoru spun her head and turned to look at him. Darn. She felt a surge of anger again squirming to get itself out. She liberated a couple of cleansing breaths and gave a sigh before turning the second time to the red-haired man sitting beside her. "I changed my mind" she said, "I'll cook for you"

A little confusion painted across Kenshin's face and he shifted slightly. "Can I ask why?"

"Hnn..." Kaoru replied, "I just think it's unfair to you"

"No!" he snapped, but not in an indignant manner. "It...it'll be my pleasure to cook for you"

The girl shook her head, feeling a little thrill crawling beneath her skin. 'Another chance for sabotage' she thought, referring to the 'food' she'd be preparing. For years, her dad taught her how to cook but she just couldn't quite capture the essence of cooking itself. Everything burned, if not, wasn't really cooked. It was frustrating on her side how everybody, even Akira who was a guy, and now Kenshin, her sworn enemy, can cook and she, a prim and proper lady couldn't! It was unfair.

"Really" she said her tone final. "I'll cook lunch"

"But you said you can't cook" he pressed in, looking worried.

"What I meant was" she feigned a smile, "I don't cook for other people. You know, strangers. Well, since I think it was partially my fault, let me at least cook you a delicious lunch" The emphasis she placed on delicious was persuading and Kenshin could already feel his stomach churn in anticipation.

"Well" he almost giggled, "All right. You do look like a very good cook"

Kaoru blushed a little. No one has ever told her that. But then again, if Kenshin knew who she really was, the statement he just said would be his last. Kaoru gave him a mischievous grinned and winked, "Oh, you have no idea"

They were now at the door and the hasty faces of Aburo and Ayame greeted them. From the way they were dressed, Kaoru could tell they were heading off to somewhere. She glanced at Kenshin and felt her heart racing, this would probably the best lunch she'd ever have!

"There's been an emergency at the company" Aburo explained in a persnickety voice when Kenshin asked him where they were going and why they looked to be in a rush. When asked why, Ayame explained that a computer virus was eating away important files and they have to go and check it out.

"On a Sunday?" Kenshin's brows were raising.

"Viruses don't have Sundays, son" Aburo said and slowly pulled Ayame towards the gate.

"Well, we'll see you later, both of you!" Ayame shouted, "And don't do anything nasty"

Kenshin laughed and looked at Kaoru who wasn't paying any attention. The redhead cleared his throat and gestured her in. "Well, it seems we're all alone"

Kaoru's smile was wide, "I couldn't be any happier."

Tomoe's black eyes sparkled, appraising Akira in a friendly but observant manner. Akira, in turn was scrutinizing her and how she grew a lot taller. But other than that, she hadn't really changed. The way she walked in still displayed how sophisticated she was, the way she talked still implied her intelligence and just the way she is still exuded the same air of vanity and pride. She flipped her hair, bringing the glass of cold water to her mouth.

"So, how are you?" she asked, putting the glass down.

Akira fidgeted in his seat and smiled, "Still alive" he replied nervously, "How about you?"

"Same" she answered, her eyes fixed on the scene outside the window. The streets were almost bare; the few people walking around all wore frowns, as if everyone has had a bad day. Tomoe sighed, disliking the fact that Akira wasn't talking that much. "Why aren't you talking?" she heard herself say, as if the words didn't come out from her mouth.

Akira looked startled and he started to perspire. She found the opportunity to smile and in fact, giggled. Akira has always been known to be a worrywart. He was always anxious about things and was always jittery when he was around other people. But she was no other people, she was his friend. But then again, maybe a few years of absence would make her one of the 'other people'.

"I-I'm sorry" he tittered, wiping off the sweat on his forehead, "It's just that it's been so long...and I really don't know what to say"

The girl giggled, "You are Akira"

Both of them laughed and Tomoe held her glass on the air. "Here's to us"

Akira smiled and banged his glass with hers. The wares made a clattering sound and they laughed again after drinking all of its content. Akira freed a breath and blinked. "Do you wanna go see a movie or something?"

The girl laughed, "On a Sunday?"

"Movies don't have Sundays"

"Oh" she smiled, "Okay"

"Here's you order, ma'am, sir" The black-suited man, who looked more like a sentry than a waiter announced, placing a plate of an orderly-arranged tequila lime chicken with pineapple and aioli on each of their golden table mats. Another black-suited waiter stopped at their table and served each of them saucers of caramelized sweet potato with orange and pineapple.

Tomoe's face lightened up at first but when the second waiter said what the appetizer was, she frowned at Akira and then to the waiter. "I'm allergic to caramels"

Akira cocked a surprised eyebrow, "Really? Why?"

"I don't know but I blow up when I eat things that are caramelized or have caramels in them" and then she pushed the saucer away. "I'm really sorry" she smiled apologetically to the waiter.

The man smiled back and took away the saucer, "It's all right, ma'am. It will be our pleasure to serve you another dish"

"Oh no" she said hastily, waving her hands "That won't be necessary."

"Are you sure?" it was Akira.

Tomoe nodded.

The guy gave the waiters a look and then they left. He looked at Tomoe who was now holding the knife and the fork. "I didn't know you have allergies" he suddenly remarked.

Tomoe looked up and grinned, "Because you never asked me out before"

Akira pouted his lips and his eyes twinkled, "Oh" he giggled, "My bad"

It was the start of a long and juicy conversation which Akira only had with Kaoru and which Tomoe always had with everyone. They talked about their friendship in the past, their lives when they separated and the caboodle of people they met. Tomoe told him about her restaurant, about how she took care of Misao and in turn Akira told her about Kaoru and Kaoru and Kaoru.

"Is she your girlfriend?" she asked, one eyebrow raised to the apricot ceiling.

Akira chuckled, "We're cousins"

"Well, you seem too close to just be cousins" she remarked, taking another sip of brandy the waiter just poured in. She grimaced as she put the glass down, her face showing disapproval of its taste. Akira looked outside the window and drank his. He then turned to the girl and smiled.

"Yes" he answered and then gave out a frown. Tomoe's eyes bulged wide and she took Akira's hand impulsively. The guy looked up to meet her eyes in surprise. "What is it?"

"Are you in love with her?" she asked, no sign of joking around in her features. She knew the question was too bold because after all, Kaoru was his cousin. So what? Blood hasn't got anything to do with love. Well, in society, maybe...but if what he was feeling was true, why should he care about what other people would say or think?

Akira gulped hard, his forehead starting to sweat again. He poured another shot of margarita in his glass and swallowed it spontaneously. With a serious look on his face, he bravely held Tomoe's awaiting gaze in his. His insides were somersaulting now, unsure of what to let out. He ransacked his brain and drifted back to the times he had with Kaoru.

She was his best friend, his only friend before he went to New York. He suddenly laughed, remembering how fat and dorky she was back then. They were five and the dorky fat Kaoru was still wearing her braces and he would tease her about them. He also remembered making fun of her weight back then and Kaoru would always end up crying. In a strange way, little Akira didn't like the way she wailed and he would take back what he said and make it up to her by carrying her on his back on their way home from the park. Since then, he never mentioned anything about the way she looked because he found out that he didn't care at all. She was beautiful the way she was because she was kind and treated everybody her friends.

The reason for their unusual closeness was maybe because they were cousins or maybe because they were both the lone children of their parents...or simply because they found comfort and happiness in each other. Whatever it was or is, it didn't really matter because they loved each other beyond blood, beyond friendship. Akira's breathing became labored, his heart racing. Was he in love with her all along?

"What are you doing?" Kenshin demanded gently when Kaoru blindfolded him out of nowhere. He had just finished washing himself off the three trays of eggs at the price of one. "And where are you taking me?"

Kaoru snickered to herself and led him to the living room. She made him sit and sat across him. "You stay here while I cook for you. I want it to be a surprise"

The blindfolded Kenshin smirked, "So you love surprises, eh?"

"Oh yes" she stood and started heading towards the kitchen, "so stay here, this won't be long. I'll just play some music while you sit there, okay?"

He nodded and not a second later, Bonnie Pink's It's Gonna Rain filled the entire house. Kaoru smiled, closing the kitchen door while Kenshin's forehead furrowed. He hadn't heard that song in years! He sighed, his mind drifting to the girl who always considered playing in the rain one of the most fun thing to do. The song was her favorite, too!

An amazed smile escaped from his lips, hearing Kaoru's voice singing from the other room. She wasn't a bad singer at all, in fact he loved hearing her sing for some mysterious reasons. He giggled, feeling his face burn as he touched them. He never felt like this way before...happy to have a girl cook for him.

Kaoru opened the recipe book lazily she found on the cupboard, making a face as she flipped through its pages. All of them were hard enough to read, let alone cook...she sighed. 'Well, Himura' she murmured to herself, 'I hope you like the taste of pain' She flipped another page and spotted an easier Philippine recipe called Pochero. It had an odd name but it sure was easy to prepare! She smiled, reading the first instruction.

1. Rinse beef cubes and put in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil.

She spun her head sideways to look for a large pot and found one in one of cupboards. She took a chunk of beef from the freezer and tried to defrost it. However, Kaoru wasn't actually a patient person especially when it came to cooking. She cursed, loosing her head over the long time the beef defrost itself, which exactly wasn't over than three minutes. With a frustrated breath, she turned the stove on, put on some water and threw the whole cold beef in. She clapped her hands in victory and peeked at the next step. Her eyes bulged and the 'cube part' blared at her like some stupid billboard sign. She still had to cut the stupid meat in cubes! She turned to the heating meat in horror and after a little while, shrugged some shoulders.

"Oh well," she told herself, "what's the difference anyway?"

2. Simmer for two hours or until tender. Make sure there is enough water.

"Two hours!" she exclaimed and threw herself in the nearest chair. "I can't wait for that long"

...OR until tender...

She grinned, good thing there was an or. A good thirty minutes past and Kaoru busied herself making the eggplant sauce, which unknown to her, was Kenshin's hatest vegetable. She looked at the meat and poked it with a fork. She smiled again, assured it was tender enough. She then read the next step.

3. Remove beef when tender. Save hot broth.

Kaoru groaned. With a huge amount of effort, she removed the beef from the water and read the next step.

4. Boil potatoes in the broth. When tender, remove and step aside. 5. Boil saba bananas and cabbage in the broth. Remove and set aside.

"Hmm..." Kaoru, stroking her chin, "What's would be the difference if i boil the potatoes and cabbages all at once?" She looked at the big chunk of meat sitting on the table and at the boiling water, "Well, it's worth try"  
And she threw two whole potatoes and 5 fronds of uncut cabbage.

The rest of the steps were easy and did them according to the book...or so she thought.

An hour had past and Kenshin didn't think he would actually enjoy himself listening to the music and singing to it at times, too. He was a bit alarmed when he smelled something burning in the kitchen but Cory said everything was okay. The song that was playing on now was one of his favorites: Kimi ni Fureru Dakede. He was tapping his knees when Kaoru called out.

"Kenshin!" he smiled at the mention of his name. "The food's ready"

The redhead stood upright, assisting himself through the chairs. "Hey, Cory" he said, "How about my blindfold?"

"Oh!" he heard her jump and sensed her nearing him. He trembled a little when her fingers came in contact with his shoulder. Carefully, she lead her to what he could perceive as the kitchen. He sniffed the air and his forehead showed signs of anxiety. The smell wasn't what you would call appealing. In fact, it was appalling. With her assistance, he sat down...the smell, as if in front of him.

Kaoru snickered to herself, seeing him sniff out the bad smell pervading the kitchen. She had tasted her concoction and nothing, nothing in the world tasted worse. She smiled, expecting the guy would not be able to refuse to eat. She went near him and slowly removed the blindfold and prepared her big irresistible smile.

A mouth-watering meat bathed in oyster sauce and sitting in the middle of the plate surrounded by delicious side-dishes was exactly what Kenshin had in mind before his eyes laid sight in, what seemingly was an absolute malodorous delicacy one would call a mess. One whole chunk of beef was laid on the plate bathed in a greenish sauce and around it where over-mashed potatoes and burned leaves of cabbages. He swallowed hard, his face paling.

"C-Can you give a glass of water, please?" his voice was shaking. And the girl was more than happy to oblige.

She gently slammed the glass on the table and pulled a chair across him so she could see his face. She would have laughed then and there, seeing how disgusted he was of the sight before him. He couldn't even stomach looking at it, let alone eat it...

"Well...?" she demanded her voice a little whiny. "Aren't you going to try it? I cooked it all the way from my heart"

All the way from her heart indeed. Kenshin gave her an imploring look but Kaoru paid no attention nonetheless. She was enjoying herself just seeing his incredibly-horrified features.

Kenshin, with super reluctant hands picked up the fork and knife and tried cutting the beef. He perspired in horror. The beef was barely cooked! He gulped harder, his stomach churning in repulsion. After 17 agonizing seconds, he finally was able to cut the piece, unsure whether it was edible or not. And it looked even more dreadful with all the green sauce all over it and all. He heaved a labored sigh and closed his eyes, preparing to devour the meat.

"Don't shut your eyes!" she ordered, "You look as if I made the most disgusting food on earth! Well if you don't wanna eat it, then don't!"

Kenshin bit his lip, seeing tears forming in her eyes. He hurriedly smiled and cooled her down. "No" he lied, "Actually, it looks delicious. I'm just closing my eyes so I could savor it's...its scrumptiousness"

Kaoru's face lit up, not because of the lie but because her plan was finally going to be successful. The baby talk was winning and she brushed the forming tears in her eyes, satisfied with her acting.

The redhead freed another sigh and he slowly brought the meat to his mouth, his hands wanting more than two cover his nose. He opened his orifice and stuffed the meet in, forcing his teeth to chew the horrible piece of beef. He was right, the meet was raw and he could hardly chew it with his teeth. The sauce was more horrid than ever. It was eggplant! He hated the damn veggie above all!

But the hardest thing he did at that excruciating moment was pretending to like it all the way.

Kaoru smiled, "How is it then?" she asked, "Is it delicious?"

The guy tried with all his guts to smile and even managed a thumbs up. But not for long because if there was anything his stomach can't take at all, it was eggplant. Not a second later, he hurled everything out. Kaoru jumped from her seat and rushed to the vomiting redhead. With real alarm, she kneaded his back, got some hot water and made him drink it.

She cursed herself. Why the heck did she worry like that? She was supposed to feel victorious but what she had was a feeling she thought she could force away: guilt. Immediately, she threw her cooking in the sink and rushed towards the recuperating redhead. She kneeled in front of him, unexpected tears streaming down her eyes.

Kenshin, alarmed by the way she did the crying, took her hands in his and brushed the tears away. Kaoru looked up at him and with an apologizing smile said, "I told you I'm a bad cook"

The redhead, forgetting how he just gagged a minute ago, laughed and helped her stand up. His eyes roamed the kitchen and frowned at the sight of the mess. He went to the cookbook and read what Kaoru tried to prepare. It was an easy Philippine recipe. Even a three-year old could have done it. He eyed Kaoru and smiled. Well, there goes all hopes of ever being offered a hearty meal from her.

He sighed but it was then when the most spectacular idea hit him. He excitedly turned to her, clutched her hands and sang, "Why don't we cook together"

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**A/N: I'm sorry if I took a while to update this one...well it was Holy Week last week, right? Well, I'm sure you get the idea. n**

**Insanity's Light: (laughs) exactly...well you're absolutely free to give torture suggestions...should I hang our rurouni's boxers on a tree next chapter?**

**Hylian Bard: thanks a lot...i hope you like this update!**

**Hiua & cherryblossom: thanks for your reviews! I hope you like my update!**

**Babybluesjaded: I'm sorry if there's not much Tomoe in here...but there will be in the next chappies...thanks for you review.**

**Blueangel-maggie: I hope you get the answer to the akira and kaoru thing in this chapter...thanks a lot...**

**Kaori-angel: Yes, so! Thanks for the message..haha...**

**Royal bluekitsune: THANKS very much...i do get a lot of inspiration from your reviews! I hope you like my update!**

**Shizuru-san: yeah, I can't wait myself! Thanks...**

**Antica: well, (chuckles), this chapter is unexpected so you have my apologies if it wasn't, well, what you really expected. (haha) but thanks anyway...**

**Jasmine blossom625: You're my hero! (kisses and hugs jasmine) if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have seen the error. And I'm very sorry if I acknowledged the wrong person in chapter 4...well, i thank serphtears instead of you so I hope you forgive me and I dedicate my update to you.**

**Serphtears: I'm glad you hated them for the leg-part...(laughs) Thanks a lot...**


	7. Chapter 6: Compromise

_Disclaimer: RK is not mine…_

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**Chapter 6: Compromise**

Kaoru gazed at him intently, her eyes probing his. He looked serious. She thought for a while. There seem to be nothing bad about him teaching her how to cook and even though she wanted him to taste pain, she didn't want him dead. Okay, her plan to poison him failed, although it did turn out to be rather successful because of the gagging and all. But the feeling of guilt Kaoru felt the second he hurled was so overwhelming that Kaoru regretted what she did and felt that she had to make it up to him.

All the past temporarily forgone.

She soughed, slamming the pot-holder which she was holding on the kitchen table. She eyed the redhead again and smiled, this time it was real, "I think that would be great"

Kenshin returned the smile, feeling himself almost jumping in anticipation. He hurriedly rushed to get the cookbook and found the page of the Pochero recipe. He stroke his chin and looked at Kaoru, "Hmm...I'm gonna need a big chunk of beef"

The girl went to the freezer instantaneously and grappled a big chunk of meat. She handed it towards him and looked at him again for further instructions. Kenshin reached out for the chopping board and a knife, turned to her, grabbed her hand and placed the handle of the knife in them. He could see a tad of fear forming in her eyes but he soothed her down by layering her hand with the knife with his.

The girl turned her face to look at him, her face all flushed.

"Now, the first step says to cube the beef." He breathed onto her ear, making Kaoru a little uncomfortable. "Shall we?"

Kaoru hesitantly nodded, her face reddening a bit more. She wanted to curse herself and the fuzzy weird feelings that were now swimming inside her. She felt a sudden surge of heat climbing from her knees to her hands and she began to shiver. His hand held hers tighter, recognizing the tension.

"You hold the knife with one hand and you use the other to press this side of the blade, see?" he told her softly, his cheek brushing hers. She blushed again as they repeated the same procedure of cubing the beef until the chunk was nothing but pieces of small squares.

The girl stared at him for a while as he prepared to boil the meat. Had he changed? Well, he seemed very nice and gentlemanly as if the man who had offended her three years ago was a completely different person. Kenshin whirled around to face her, ushering her to sit down.

Kaoru obliged. She had exactly two hours of finding out if he really had changed. She tapped her fingers on the table in rhythm, thinking how to start a conversation that will lead to the incident. But, it was of no need because Kenshin had done the job for her.

"Have you got a boyfriend, Cory?" he asked out of nowhere, his eyes on her.

"Hmm" she shook her head with one eyebrow raised, "How about you?"

She was actually expecting for him to say yes but what he answered was the opposite.

"Impossible" she pressed in.

The man gave out a small laugh and shook his head the second time. "I really don't"

"Well, I'm sure you had lots of girlfriends before"

He hesitated for a while and then replied a rather bored, "Yep" and then quickly added, "But they were all flings"

She cleared her throat, making her voice sound dubious. "Oh, really? You didn't have like a single serious relationship with a girl?"

Again, he shook his head.

"Hnn..." Kaoru murmured, "You must be SOME playboy"

The boy's face changed drastically at her emphasis. He looked quickly at her and took back what he said, "I-I don't force them to come to me...they just do"

She raised another eyebrow. "That must mean you have broken a lot of hearts"

He fell silent, his ducked as he toyed with his fingers. She heard him pull several breaths before facing her again. "Well, I guess so"

Kaoru gazed at him for a while and suddenly found herself asking, "Have you ever been in love, Himura?"

It was obvious that the question rather came out unexpectedly. The redhead fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to find the right answer to the question. Well, for the record, he had dated lots of women but he didn't remember falling in love with one. The question wasn't new to him though and he never hesitated to say no to the interested person. However, strange as it was, he found it real hard to utter the simple two-letter word.

"I guess that would mean a no" Kaoru remarked, considering how quiet he became.

"Well" he said, "there was one girl..."

Now, this was interesting.

"Go on" Kaoru smiled in interest, letting her chin rest on her hands. "I'm listening"

"I was still a kid when I met her..."

_The sun that morning was intensely hot, increasing the temperature to the point where a sunbather could not afford to stay for more than an hour under the burning plate without acquiring a severe burnt. It was summer. Scorching but nonetheless beautiful and despite the boiling heat, people of different towns flocked the resort, hoping to get a splash of the refreshing seawater._

_Swimming not very far from the shore was a three-year old boy, holding tight to his navy blue arm floaters. Catching sight of his parents, he raised his small arms and waved them frantically with a big innocent grin on his face. The mother of the boy was yelling something at him, which his tiny ears didn't pick up considering the distance. His mother yelled once more in hopes that the boy might hear her this time. But all to no avail._

_The boy wasn't listening anymore, his attention now focused on a floating piece of coconut shell. Enchanted by the nut, he flapped his small arms in action and started to swim his way to the big seed, not occurring to his mind that it was taking him further and further. It was good thing that he was still a child because he didn't seem to give any concern that he was dangerously floating on a five-foot deep water. It was also a good thing he was wearing floaters because if it weren't for them, he would have drowned in a split-second._

_The boy's father was frenetically swimming fast towards him, jostling the people that were in his way in a fleet of terror. His wife was crying on shore, hands of strangers holding her back from going after his husband. But it wasn't only them who were alarmed, but practically everyone in the resort who had the heart to be concerned. Some people already took the initiative to call the life-guard and others swam after the kid's father, hoping they wouldn't be too late._

_Being a three-year old that he was, the kid swam further into the sea to follow his shell, unwittingly making the circumstance harder for those who were going after him. He whirled around, his ears sensing a familiar voice and he caught sight of his father. He laughed and he turned to the other side again. He face puckered into an immediate frown, realizing that he had lost sight of the huge shell. He twirled his little head sideways, hoping to find it but it was gone._

_Loudly, he wailed, but no one heard him cry. He was far, very far and it would probably take a little while before his father reached him. In frustration, he drummed the water, making little splashes. And then his little whimpers subdued. Another peculiar thing caught his curiosity, a big piece of purple jelly. He giggled, swimming slowly towards it._

_Not a few meters away from the boy, a small coastal boat was sailing from the eastern part of the island. The captain was fully preoccupied with the wheel, his eyes fixed on the vastness of the sea. On his side, stood a little girl peeping through her huge binoculars. She giggled, pulling her father's shirt to get his attention._

_"Honey, I'm driving" he said, not bothering to look at her._

_"But daddy" the little girl insisted, tugging on his shirt harder, "There's a boy over there"_

_"Oh, sweetheart" the captain gushed, rumpling her hair. "We're likely five-foot above the water honey, there's no way a—"_

_The captain stopped as his daughter pointed westward. He followed her finger and his eyes bulged at what he saw. A little boy was swimming towards for what seemed like an electric jellyfish with nothing but arm floaters! He turned the wheel towards his directions in swift panic, accelerating the engines. If the boat wouldn't make it in time, the boy would surely die either from drowning or from electric shock._

_"Hime-chan, go hurry and get the rings!" he ordered._

_The little girl, though unsure of what was going on rushed hurriedly towards their cabin and got one huge black rubber ring. She ran towards her father and stumbled upon doing so. The boat was running very fast now and she was having a hard time adjusting to the speed as her father never sped in one of their fishing trips before._

_The next thing the girl knew was that her father stripped himself of his shirt, took the ring and a wooden rod and jumped overboard, warning her to stay right where she was. She tiptoed, looking over the balustrade to see what the sudden commotion was all about. A couple of men were there, too and they all had worried looks on their faces. The boy was not over an inch away from the purple fish and just as he lay his tiny fingers on its body, her father struck it with his wooden shaft. He immediately took hold of the boy who was about to sink and began swimming back towards their boat._

_The girl watched as her panting father pulled the boy on board, followed by a couple of men she didn't know. All she could fathom at that time was that the little boy was endangered and her father saved him. The strange men surrounded the boy and her fatherthe latter tried to revive the kid's consciousness. Another man knelt crying beside her dad, his hands clasped together as if he was praying. The girl went nearer and lowered her head to see the crying man's face._

_She smiled, rushing towards her cabin to get the pink kerchief her mother gave her. She went back to the man and offered him the piece of cloth. The man smiled, accepted it and wiped his tears._

_"Are you okay now, mister?" she asked sweetly, both her hands on her back. The man smiled as he gently mussed her hair. "I heard you were the one who saw my son" he said, the smile still on his fair features. "Thanks to you, little girl"_

_She giggled and ran to her father. "Is he okay, dad?"_

_"Thanks to you, he is, Hime-chan"_

Kaoru reined in herself. She felt like crying…like the story was one she was familiar with. But sadly, nothing in her memory came close to the story he just narrated. She looked at Kenshin and as if she wasn't in control of her mouth suddenly asked, "Do you even know her name?"

The boy gave her a weak smile and shook his head. "My dad told me the girl's father called her hime-chan…"

"_Princess_…" Kaoru broke off, feeling a certain chill.

"Do you know her?" his voice sounded excited.

"No" she answered blankly, as if deep in thought. "Buther namedoes sound very familiar"

Kenshin was about to open his mouth when Kaoru's cell phone rang. She jumped off in alarm and stood up to get her bag. She hurriedly fumbled through its contents and took hold of her phone. She flipped it open, brought it to her ear and greeted, "Hello?"

"Kaoru, it's me, Hiko" the other line announced.

She threw Kenshin a look and pretended to sound casual. "Oh, teacher. What do you want?"

"There's been a slight change of date in the tournament. The sponsors called me earlier this morning to request that the competition be rescheduled"

"You mean postponed?"

"Nope. Rescheduled to an earlier date"

One of her eyebrows rose, "Oh, but when?"

There was a slight pause. "This Wednesday"

Barely two days away. Now that was unexpected.

Kaoru blinked a few times. "Seriously?"

"Seriously"

Kaoru's chest heaved, taking a glimpse of Kenshin who was checking out the boiling meat. "Okay, then. Thanks for letting me know"

"Anything for you, kid"

Then, he hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" it was Kenshin, washing the potatoes.

"My teacher. He says he needs to see me right now" she grimaced, making her voice as sad as possible. "I'm really sorry, Kenshin but I have to go. Maybe we can do this some other time?"

_If there will ever be…_

His features sank down as he placed the potatoes back to the washing basin. "That sucks"

She feigned a smile.

"Well, at least have a drink with me first" he offered, his tone partially imploring. "Please?"

Kaoru took a moment to think. If she did this, she wouldn't have time to relax herself for the big day on Wednesday. But considering the fact that she'd be doing it with the person that will benefit all the pain of her hard training, then so be it. She grinned, putting her bag down to the table.

The redhead could barely contain himself and exploded in a victorious, "Yes!" He rushed towards their wine cabinet and took out a bottle of margarita and two slick champagne glasses. He pulled the cork out, wiped the spittle and cautiously poured a minimum amount of the liquid on both glasses.

Kaoru on the other hand was pondering about the things that might happen tomorrow and the things she had allowed to happen today. It was very stupid of her to agree to come to his place and very, very immature that she conceded to have this stupid frickin' drinking spree with him when the next day, she'll be yanking off the covers to reveal to him who she really was.

"Cory?"

She moved awkwardly when he spoke her name, reaching blindly for the glass that was in his hand and missing it, the contents soaked through her silk blouse and expensive skirt, which Ms. Moritama bought for her as a birthday present. Her reactions to the mishap were intensified by the knowledge that she was in Kenshin Himura's house and she jumped up in shock, dabbing uselessly at the soaking fabric, bright spots of color burning in her cheeks, as the dark red stain seeped into the fragile silk and rhinestone.

"Quick, take 'em off and I'll soak the stains in salt!" Kenshin snapped, not bothering if he sounded perverse.

Kaoru's jaw gaped at his suggestion, "Excuse me?"

"Hurry up or the wine is going to stain!" he reminded her fastidiously, as if it was his clothes that were stained. When she didn't manage to find something else to say, he impulsively grabbed her wrists and led her upstairs. Once there, he pushed open his bedroom door, and leaving her standing dazedly like a wooden doll as he opened a cupboard door and removed a shirt.

"Here" he handed her the shirt, "Take off your clothes and put this on"

Kaoru swallowed passed her throat as she looked at him with a pale face. "Are you going to watch me undress?"

Kenshin shook his head and immediately hurried outside. He closed the door and waited there.

The dark red stain was already sinking deeper into her clothes, jerking her out of her sudden lethargy. _Darn, I should have left when I had the chance._ But what was done was done so she quickly, with numb fingers, started getting herself rid of her clothes and slipped in the white shirt Kenshin gave to her. When she had finished, she opened the door and found his eyes staring openly at her in the least of her finery.

Slack-jawed and out of breath, Kenshin took a moment to appraise her. _Kami-sama, she's so beautiful_. He felt his face heat, seeing her only in a loose shirt with no bottoms. He held his breath as she inched towards him, her face all flushed up. He fought hard not to smirk, knowing it would only embarrass her.

She frowned, taking notice of the way he looked at her. "Look at me again and I swear to Kami-sama, I'll break down your face"

There goes her spunk again.

"Sorry" he said apologetically as he handed her a basin of salt solution. "You can put your clothes in here"

She nodded and complied. She freed a laborious breath and turned to him. "Thanks"

The redhead smiled his welcome. "Do you want a ride home?"

Kaoru waved her hands in panic, "No" she snapped, "That won't be necessary. I'll just call Akira"

Kenshin arched an eyebrow, "Is he your boyfriend?"

She hesitated and without thinking what she was about to say, stuttered, "Yeah"

The guy blew his bangs, unable to suppress his disappointment. For the first time, he felt a strange pang in his heart, making it throb louder and faster. Was he jealous? He snorted, "Lucky guy"

She snickered to herself, familiar with the signs of jealousy he was displaying. "Well, excuse me for a while"

Kenshin followed her with his eyes, his heart skipping a beat. He brought one hand to his chest and felt it pounding faster. He had never felt this way about a girl before. But what surprised him was that he felt it towards Cory, who didn't even really like him. He laughed silently, slowly loosing his thoughts to her.

Since the night he first saw her, there was already something. And that something grew even bigger today. He wondered why he couldn't afford to be mad at her like he always did towards other girls. He wondered why he found it real hard to take his eyes off her even for just a second, why for the first time she got him jealous. His heart was beating faster now as if it was going to burst in his chest. He shivered slightly as little waves of tremors crawled beneath his skin.

It was when the realization hit him. _I think I'm in love with her…_

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**Author's Notes: (laughs) I want to confess something to you guys, I really don't know where this fic is heading towards. I just write whatever pops up in my head…no outlines, no drafts, I don't even proofread them! Well anyway, since we're already revolving around that subject, I just want to ask for suggestions…and if you want me to read any of your stories, just say so in the review and I'll go see your fic right away. Sorry, if I'm updating slower than usual, I seem to be running out of words.**

**Kaori-angel: oh I'm sorry if I let Hiko interrupt the cooking part...(laugh) I hope you liked this update anyway. Thanks.**

**Anonymous: Yeah, he will find out VERY soon! Oh the answers to your questions will be provided in later chapters. It's okay you didn't review in the previous chapter...I'm sure you still have other things to do. Thanks for the review...**

**Antica: Oh no...I won't let Kao-chan fall for Akira...he's just like a big brother to her...oh and this is totally a kenkao fic, don't cha worry! Thanks...**

**Nightshade: Thanks a lot and I hope u like this update...**

**Baby bluesjaded: Actually, to tell you the truth, I don't know what to do with Tomoe anymore but I'm having little ideas...you're free to suggest if you want to. Thanks a lot!**

**DeeKaui: (laughs) well, actually, Kaoru is a lot like myself in terms of the cooking department! Thanks for the review!**

**Royal blueKitsune: (rolls to the floor) Well, I sort of figured people who are in love tend to sing even if they don't usually do...(clears throat) based on my experience...(blushes)Thanks!**

**Seta-girl: (laughs) You go girl friend! Thanks a hundred times...**

**RC: This Friday? What for? Thanks for the review, cuz...**

**Serphtears: LOLz! Me too! Yeah and I feel a little guilty writing that scene but I guess Kenshin deserves what he got! Thanks...**

**Blooded wings: oh I completely understand, I hope you get finished with your school work soon. And about those three trays of eggs at the price of one...well, I just found it funny to write over and over again and I'm so happy you noticed it! Thanks for the rev!**

**Yoko and blvd: thanks a lot and I really hope you like my update!**

**Insanity's light: I actually shared the same sentiment with you about Tomoe once but when I watched Tsuioku...I learned to respect her a lot, because she knows where she stands and she's a very strong and matured woman. Anyhoo, thanks for the rev and hope you like the update! Tsup!**

**reposted**


	8. Chapter 7: Feelings

_Standard disclaimers apply…_

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**Chapter 7: Feelings**

Mesmerized, Kenshin watched as Cory fluctuated here and there, adoring the way her lips opened when she spoke, the way her eyes held strange twinkles that were nonetheless breathtaking. His lips creased a silent smile as the girl flipped close her phone and headed towards his direction, a sudden roil jolted throughout his stomach. Blood immediately rushed towards his face, tinting it pink…for the first time, he suddenly felt embarrassed towards a girl.

The feelings that were now stirring up inside him were overwhelming, winsome and new. He was disconcerted at first because he never felt anything like that towards anybody else except Ayame. But the feeling was somehow different because he felt uneasy, uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Kenshin…are you okay?" Cory asked, her face tainted with concern.

The redhead jumped to his feet and tried snapping the weird feeling away by whistling. "Yeah" he almost whispered, slipping his hands inside his pockets. He took a quick glimpse at Cory and caught her face reddening as she met his furtive gaze.

"Didn't I tell you not to look at me?" she sounded annoyed as she pulled the hem of the shirt to her knees.

Kenshin fought hard to laugh and pulled his eyes away from her. "But I'm a man" he taunted sheepishly, "I'm supposed to look at you"

He heard her scoff. "Excuse me?"

Chuckling, he gathered the courage and looked at her again. "I said" he repeated, failing to hide the scarlet shade on his cheeks, "Men are required to look at beautiful girls"

Instead of slapping him for the remark, she found herself strangely amused and she gave a hearty laugh. "Then why are you looking at me?"

Something in the question disconcerted him, as if she was trying to establish an effect. He didn't understand what she meant and giving her an arch of one eyebrow, he asked, "How do you mean?"

Cory paused for a while, looking inadvertently at the wall. Then she turned to him, "Do you mean to say that men only look at beautiful women?"

This time, her voice sounded a little upset.

He didn't know why but he hesitated when he could have just said a quick 'yes' because that was really what he felt. Men do look at beautiful women and if a woman isn't beautiful…well…then men wouldn't feel any urge or need to look at her. It had always been one of the male standards to only stare at women who have beautiful faces, vivacious curves and it would really help if she had big boobs, too because technically, those are what gets the eyes of men drawn.

However if she doesn't have any of those, then why look at her?

"Yes" he replied unsurely but in confidence.

From the second he mentioned it, Cory rose to her feet with hands balled into fists on her sides. Kenshin followed her action and couldn't have been more prepared for what happened next.

She suddenly pulled the shirt upwards, revealing her only in her undergarments. Kenshin's eyes almost popped out of her sockets, his heart racing to its tether. A sudden upsurge of heat invaded throughout his body, emanating in his face that made his thighs throb. He swallowed hard, meeting Cory's livid eyes, starting to darken with fury.

"Look at me and tell me I'm beautiful" she ordered, her voice brisk and condescending.

The redhead didn't get why she was suddenly acting like this all of a sudden. Was it something he said? His throat was dry and he tried to grope for the right words to say. Her eyes held his, as if issuing him a challenge. His heart was skipping a beat now, his forehead perspiring. The intensity of his feeling increased as she walked near him, their eyes still locked in each other.

"Do you think I'm beautiful Himura?" her voice was suddenly alien to him like it was the first time she spoke.

He bit his tongue and opened his mouth to answer. "Of course"

"Then, damn you" she whispered bitterly, tears stinging her eyes.

Kaoru swore to herself she would ever let him see her cry but she had defied herself twice in one day. It was like she was defenseless in his presence, like all the courage she took three years to build just evaporates when he starts looking at her, like she was suddenly weak. This day have had enough table turned for her…she have had enough unexpected incidents that only brought trouble to her mind and menace to her plans.

Kenshin on the other hand was taken back when she cried, fumbling himself for the reason behind her tears. What had he said? He only told her how beautiful she was! Was it wrong to compliment a girl when she was almost naked? Or maybe because she felt insulted by the way he looked at her body? But then again, he hadn't asked her to take of her shirt. She did it on her own as if to seduce him or something.

But clearly, seduction was out of the question. She was trying to tell him something. But at that time, he had no spick of idea what she was trying to imply by undressing upfront and open. He felt his stomach tangling into small knots as she cried harder, now gathering her wet clothes.

The redhead debated among himself whether to talk to her or not but made up a quick decision as the girl started to put on her stained clothing. "Cory" his voice came close to imploring, "Those clothes are wet…y-you can wear Ayame's if you like"

Cory made no response and started to put on her skirt, water dripping from the fabric. He bit his lip for a while and let it stay there until he came up with something good to say. "Look, Cory" he started, inching himself towards her back. "If…if I had said something to offend you, I-I really didn't mean it and I'm sorry"

He then released a quiet sigh of relief.

But it seemed like the girl paid no attention. She turned to him, gave him a dagger-glare just in time as a car came honking just outside his gate. Cory's face no longer held any shade, her eyes held no twinkle. When she smiled, he was sure it was forced. "I'll see on Wednesday, Himura", then she disappeared through the door even before he could open his mouth to ask where.

When she had gone, he went directly into the kitchen to clean the whole mess, all the while contemplating about his newfound feelings towards Cory, whom he had only met the day before. It was odd that he fell for her when she showed nothing that he thought he wanted to see in a girl. She didn't even know how to cook! Which was, by the way, the no. thing one will find in his top ten list of qualities in his ideal woman. He thought maybe it was just expedient, temporary and would go away soon if he let it.

Wednesday. She said she wanted them to meet on Wednesday. He didn't know what to feel about that, either. His mind was nothing but a confused farrago of unexplained emotions. Ah, women! He could never get them…they're always moody, and irritable, bossy, patronizing, and…and…beautiful…

He sighed as he tried again to force her away from his mind. But his thoughts very predominating and all he could think about was her jaunty blue eyes that always seemed to flash at him with incomprehensible anger, her smile he thought that in most occasions bore no truth and her whole body which for a fraction emanated some sort of heat that almost seemed to repel him. From where he was standing, she was very impervious, untouchable in more ways that one.

He had finally finished cleaning up and was half-way to his room when his phone rang. He felt no heart to answer it but the rings sounded a little too persistent. He took hold of it and brought it to his ear. "Yeah, hello?" he said weakly.

"Yo, Kenshin!" the other line greeted.

Kenshin heaved a sigh, "What is it Sano?"

"Amakusa called me this morning. He said Hiko wants to meet us at the Pavilion at five o'clock. You cool with that?"

He paused for a while, taking notice of the lethargy slowly assailing his muscles. He was about to say 'no' but Sano cut in abruptly.

"He says it's important that all of us be there"

Another sigh, another pause and the redhead finally said, "Yeah, okay"

Without waiting for the other line to say another word again, he slammed the phone shut and crawled to his bed, placing two pillows and both his forearms under his head. He stared at the ceiling. What could Hiko want this time? What could important? He stirred slightly then remembered the little chat they had at the reunion yesterday.

That frickin' sword tournament.

Argh! He didn't feel any excitement at all about having to wield a sword again against an opponent. He didn't feel like going to that stupid restaurant to meet his loutish friends, he didn't want to get up from where he was positioned in, in his bed; he just didn't want to do anything!

But knowing Hiko of course, if he said he wanted to meat his team, he really meant it and for all he knew, that man would be hunting down to burn his ass if he didn't show up. For the time being, he had no choice. He might just regain the lost touch if he talked with them again and hopefully, forget all about Kaoru and the feelings she brought within him.

Akira was singing 'Dame' by Izumi You and eating a bacon sandwich when Kaoru came rushing towards the car, dressed only in a loose shirt that barely covered her legs. His eyes widened and he spat the bread out of instinct. Not only that, she was crying, too. He immediately stepped out of the car and met her in a tight embrace.

"What happened?" he asked, stroking her hair. It wasn't the first time Kaoru cried in his arms; in fact she probably did a hundred times already. But somehow, this one was different, like she was trying to stop the tears from going out, like she didn't want to cry. This was odd because normally, Kaoru would never stop herself from weeping because she always believed that when tears fall, you're setting yourself free, breaking your barriers…

Kaoru shook her head in his chest, tears continued falling. She sobbed, trying to open her mouth to speak. Unfortunately for her, the tears dried up her throat, preventing the words to pass through. She wailed harder, clutching Akira's back like they had not seen each other for centuries. The man held her tighter, allowing them to stay like that for several seconds, mindless of whether they were in the middle of the suburban street, which was good because then there were less chances of people walking around and even if there were people and they thought they were vulgar for hugging in such an open view.

The girl finally loosened her grip, Akira lifting her chin to his face. "Shall I go beat the crap out of him?"

He sounded joking but Kaoru knew he wouldn't hesitate to do it if she conceded. The girl shook her head and forced a weedy smile, her eyes red with tears. She gave him a prudent look that could only mean, _leave the beating to me._

The guy smiled and brushed an upcoming tear away as he escorted her to the car, Izumi You's voice filling the vehicle.

Zenzen tanoshime nai ja nai

_You called me out of your own selfishness and sighing_

Kaoru fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, the lyrics of the song boring deep into her thoughts. Yes, she went back for that stupid self-absorbed redhead. She wanted him and his friend to pay for every physical and emotional injury they've inflicted on her.

Nasake nai kao

_can't enjoy at all, such a pathetic face_

Yes, he had a pathetic face two with two strange purple eyes that enjoyed themselves looking at her. But now, she was the one who was pathetic. Almost naked in his shirt, embarrassed herself with her cooking and expedient stripping and wasted one piece of expensive clothing to a stupid liquor.

Usui ai jou de Manzoku shite cha owari da shi

_being satisfied with a light love will end it all_

Kaoru froze, as if the line was meant for her. Her heart started to race, tears forming on her eyes again. Everything was backfiring on her. Her plans, her self, her mind and hear heart. All of them didn't seem to be working on her side at all! She just didn't understand herself, why she can't hold his gaze for a long time, why her knees feel weak every time his purple orbs descended on her, why she can't take her mind off him and why her heart just keeps leaping out just with his very presence.

_A light love will end it all…_

Could this be it? Did that stupid hackneyed phrase 'the more you hate, the more you love' possibly contain any truth at all? She closed her eyes as she tried compelling the strange yet intense feelings she was suffering at the thought of his almost chastened face away. Love will end it all…be satisfied with a light love will end it all…

Unexpectedly, she started to cry again, covering her mouth in hopes the tears would soon stop. But they didn't. They just kept falling down. Akira took a quick glimpse at her, then the road, then at her. Sensing it was because of the song; he quickly turned the radio fm off and parked the car on an empty street side.

"What's wrong?" his voice full of concern. "Kaoru, tell me!"

The girl sobbed and turned to him with very teary eyes. "I…It's Kenshin…"

"What did he do to you?" he asked grimly, wiping her tears with his hands. "Just say a word and I'll go back and tear him from limb to limb"

Kaoru took his hands in hers and looked at him in the eye. Her hands were trembling but they were warm. "I…it's not him, Akira….it…it's me…."

"What?"

"I…I…don't know…"

She trailed off, at a loss for words. She couldn't tell him she stirred up some feelings for the redhead. She couldn't tell him that she took off her clothes for him to see, that she actually felt some frisson thing whenever he was close by. "Akira…" she called out weakly, "I…I don't think…I can do this anymore"

Akira's eyes broadened, estranged by the way she was talking and crying and behaving. Whatever happened to her in that house must have been very profound for her to cry and talk trash. Yes, trash. When Kaoru first told him about her revenge plans, he attempted talking her out of it, saying that it was for fate to arrange the consequences but the stubborn girl never listened and had always referred his lectures about her giving up on the revenge plot as trash.

"What are you talking about?" he pulled away his hands from hers and cupped her cheeks. "What is all this trash? Aren't you the one most eager to teach his ass a lesson? And now you're giving up!"

"You don't understand…"

"Then tell me what happened in there so I would!"

Silence. And it seemed to last for almost several days.

Kaoru looked away from his gaze to the window. He had a point. She had undergone far too much for her to back away now. It was too late for him…Akira was right. It was stupid for her to even bother considering abdicating her plans. But the feelings…

The feelings were irresponsible and stupid.

No amount of frisson could ever shadow the deep scar he had left on her heart and no matter how it leapt at the sight of him; it would never be mended and be whole again as it had been before. She would still hate him and even if, Kami-sama forbid, she was feeling something a lot like love. Roughly, she wiped her tears away and inhaled several deep cleansing breaths.

Then, she turned to Akira. "You're right."

The guy gave her a sly smile and nudged her chin, "That's my girl"

He started the car and sent it soaring to their house.

The Pavilion, unlike any other day, was stark on Sundays. There were people, only few of them talking on the first table of the eatery and on the last row of tables, sat five kenjutsu masters and their teacher. One was smoking a cigarette, the other two talking to their teacher and the other one watching the last person stare absently at the window.

Sano elbowed Kenshin, flustered by the way he was looking outside. When the guy turned to him with a questioning look, he asked, "Are you sick or something?"

The rest of the team looked at him at the sound of 'sick', their eyes all waiting for an answer. Kenshin shifted in his seat and pursed his lips, "Yeah" and he blew his bangs.

"But there is something bothering you" Hiko suggested, fanning the smoke that was puffing out of Shougo's cigarette. Knowing too well what the thing that bothered him was, he slapped the redhead's back and chortled. "Whatever it is kid, don't let it affect your concentration on Wednesday"

Kenshin coughed, "What's on Wednesday?"

Okita arched one eyebrow and laughed, "You mean you don't know?"

The redhead glared at him, "Would I be asking if I did?"

"Cool down, man" Sano interrupted, "The tournament's on Wednesday"

Kenshin scowled and snatched a cigarette from Shougo, the other man not in the mood to protest. As it seemed, most of them were irritable except for Okita, Soujirou and Sano. But he was meeting Cory on that day! But then again, he didn't think it would be a good idea to see her again after all that happened and disappoint Hiko in the process.

He made up his mind quickly. The longer the time he wouldn't see her, the sooner the feelings will go away. So he was definitely going for the sword tournament. And besides, it had been a while since he had injured adversaries…

"Here's how it will work" Hiko started, as if the previous scene never happened. He coughed in distaste as the smoke from Shougo's cigarette filled the room. He glared at him and instantly and he tapped his stick on the ashtray.

Hiko already made it a point to his students that when he didn't like what they were doing, they must stop at once, mindless of whether they liked it or not. Because when he was in command, he assumed that all his gustoes be carried on. If not, the student might as well get out from his face before he feels the urge to break it down into tiny pieces.

And Amakusa knew this too well to defy him, no matter how sullen his individual moods were.

"Good" he said casually and was about to continue speaking when Sano broke in.

"Who wants some cheese and crackers?" he offered with a big goofy grin, one hand raised.

Everybody shook their heads. It had always been one of Sano's annoying habits to interfere serious conversations with his dumb, half-witted little suggestions that only makes that matters at hand worse.

Hiko glowered at the roosterhead and spun his head towards the counter. "You mean poison?"

The man fell silent and Seijuro spoke again. This time, nobody dared to interrupt.

"Since, this tournament is part of the homecoming celebrations; this year's Kendo club has invited interested people to challenge you guys in the final face-off. There are four levels in the competition, first they will have to fight each other and then advance to fight another until five of them reaches you. They will be assigned to a number and will fight any of you who have the number that corresponds to theirs" he paused, "Do you get it?"

"You mean we only get to fight once?" Sano sounded a little bummed.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, sir" he shook his head, seeing that his master didn't want any complaints.

"So when will we begin our training?" Seta asked, smiling.

"Do you still need to train?" Hiko asked back.

The boy shrugged his shoulders and stood up, "Nope, I was just asking, Well, I have to go…I have other things to attend to"

"So what's the price again if we win?" Shougo suddenly asked, making Seta stop.

Seijuro gave him a smile. "Five-thousand yen"

Sano's eyes broadened and he leaped from his seat. "Seriously! Wohoo!" he yelled as if they had already won.

The others didn't seem interested and started saying goodbye one by one. Kenshin stayed on his seat, his mind drifting on Cory. Only Sano and him were left down and the harem on the first table. "Hey, Sano" he called out.

"What is it?"

He hesitated for a moment and then sputtered, "How do you know you're in love?"

Sano stared at him for a while and later erupted in severe laughter. He was like that for several seconds and he went to the point where his hands clutched his stomach, Kenshin stood up and headed towards the door, pretending not to hear Sano call out his name.

He knew it was a bad idea to ask him such stupid question. He walked faster, avoiding Sano's questions. Whatever it was he was feeling, he decided to discover it better on his own. Without Sano's dim-witted advices and without any other people, even Ayame tell him what do with it.

But he still wondered, considering the fact that there was something in the way she looked at him, something in the way she blushed under his gaze, something that told him she felt the same. But, does she really after she went into a crying fit?

The answer would soon come to him on Wednesday.

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**Author's Notes:**

**Gomen for not updating sooner, I was writing my other fic in fictionpress. Anyhoo, thanks very much for understanding my plot problem. (laughs).**

**Baby bluesjaded: Yey! Thanks…oh don't say that. I'm not that good enough either and no your fic doesn't suck…I've read Against Love…I liked your idea but I think your too harsh on little Tokio! Wahaha! A dark child now, wasn't she? Glaring back at Saito like that…(chuckles).**

**Blooded wyngs: geez…haha…was hime-chan too obvious? (laughs) Yeah, I'm writing the tournament in my next update. Oh and about that little girl giggling…well I think she thinks the little Kenshin was cute! (rolls to the floor…)**

**Sonia and blvd: Thank you! Hope you like my update!**

**Insanity' Light: Hmm…it's up to you to decide whether you think what he feels is really real…and about the little girl…well…I guess it wasn't very obvious after all! (smirks) Thanks and I hope you like this update…**

**Serphtears: (jumps) I'm glad you liked the idea of the rurouni being in love and all. Thanks…**

**Blueangel Maggie: Yey again! I'm so happy! Oh yeah…he's gonna find out REAL soon…so I hope you read the next chappie. And it's okay if you didn't review the previous one…thanks a lot.**

**Rainer's cherub: hmm...meg…u should stop using my account…people are getting weird all around me…haha…and I had a wonderful time at his party, thanks…**

**Antica: Thanks for the suggestion…but I think I want Kenshin to suffer longer…and well Kaoru…she's suffering herself! But thanks really, I appreciated it. Oh and I've already read your story To Live for Love and I totally agree on the whole forbidden-date thingy. My prof told me all about it and I hope you update soon, okay?**

**DeeKaui: (rolls to the floor) What a coincidence! Haha! Well, thanks for your suggestion. I totally agree that the redhead should suffer longer…and don't you worry, I ain't gonna let him off that easy! He's going down! (evil laugh)**

**Seta-girl: Damn right she was lucky! Glad you found the scene funny because it actually really happened to me during New Year's Eve. We were drinking and my brother spilled his wine on my new dress! Anyway, thank you and hope you like this update.**

**Kaori-angel: Girl, Akira is gonna flip! But, he'll ride on anyway. He IS in love with his cousin, isn't he? Oh, Kaoru winning is too early for me to say. Just read my next update and you will get your answers. Thanks for the review.**

**RoyalblueKitsune: (smiles) Well, I'm glad you felt sorry for the redhaired bloke but I don't think you'll still be sorry when he finds out who Cory is…just you wait. (evil laughs) Anyhoo, thank you very much for your review and I hope you like my update…**


	9. Chapter 8: Wednesday

_Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…_

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**Chapter 8: Wednesday**

Kaoru Kamiya took off all the remaining hours that Sunday to contemplate and rid herself of the negative things she was feeling right now. Akira was right, she can't quit being this close...but still…a bigger part of her was overwrought as if it didn't want to take any part in this 'teach-Himura-a-lesson' plot.

Akira was now sleeping soundly in his room, exhausted of comforting her for hours and hours of whining and crying. She had to admit she was a cry-baby but as long as it was Akira who wiped the tears, then it would be okay. Her best friend had promised her Kendo training, as well as her dad the following morning until Tuesday. Their invincible techniques would make sure she would have the hand over the blasted, perverse redhead.

Kaoru heaved her chest and rolled over to the other side of her bed, recalling the slapdash reaction she made when Kenshin told her men only looked at beautiful women. Her heart twanged that very moment and tears just streaked out spontaneously. Her hands ripped the shirt off on their own and she faced him as Kaoru, bitter and furious.

She wanted to slap him right then and here, seeing how he kind of admired her curves and her complexion and realizing that, that would be the last thing he would ever do if he found out that she was Kaoru Kamiya, the girl he hated the most. And on Wednesday, she would show him how he is the boy she despised with every ounce of her soul.

Hiko had called her that afternoon, too, saying he arranged a meeting with the Kendo team and that they were confident enough not to set any preparation for the matches. In a strange sort of way, Kaoru understood this because apart from the Feryuu Kendo team, the other sword-fighting students in the rest of the martial art schools in the country sucked. The hundreds of medals, plaques and authentic samurai swords splayed across the Kendo training room was more than enough proof of their invincibility.

However, Kaoru was not any other student from any other martial art school in the country. She was granddaughter of one of Japan's best samurai and was the adjutant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, a sword technique which her own grandfather invented. She learned the art of wielding a shinai when she was just about five and had already killed imaginary opponents with a real katana when she was twelve. Born with that kind of talent, getting herself in, in the country's leading martial arts school was out of the question. Fitting in, however, with the other members of the team was a different side of the story.

Being the only girl in the club, Kaoru had long perceived that she would have a rough time relating with the other male members. But what didn't occur to her was that they were already planning some way to kick her off the group. The reason behind all this was maybe because having a girl on the group decreased the team's menacing factor or it may also be that they didn't like the way the girl looked. Either way, it was unanimous and definitely obvious that everyone on the club hated Kaoru and wanted her out as soon as possible in any way possible.

Kaoru closed her eyes, snapping all the floating memories away from her head. The past. It was all in the past. She knew she had to move on and just forget about everything. But forgiving and forgetting was easier thought than done. Just seeing Kenshin Himura smiling down at her like an idiot just makes her teeth rattle in anger and her hands shake in an urge to send him flying to a pulp. But she also learned the art of yoga and with it, the art of controlling oneself from doing irresponsible and drastic actions.

The girl shifted on her bed again and curled herself. Enough thoughts. Her head should be freed from too much thinking so that she could concentrate for tomorrow and for Wednesday.

Wednesday crept under everybody's noses and even before they realized it coming, it was already there waiting to be spent. Hundreds of samurai wannabes flocked the Feryuu high and there were flying swords everywhere. The main Kendo team had already been there long before everyone else came. Confident they may be of triumph, they wanted to make double times sure so early that morning they trained once more with their master.

Kaoru of course had undergone her part of practice and climbed up and down the seventy-eight steps of the Hanamachi temple every morning while Akria and her dad waited for her at the top. They would also take turns sparring with her, taking her like she was the most pernicious beast that ever walked the planet. Yes, they were hard on her but Kaoru appreciated their efforts to help and finally, today, the redhead will finally get some piece of her mind.

The process of the competition was complex but being too familiar with the way it was being carried out, Kaoru didn't even have one sweat drop as she went flawlessly from the eliminations to the semi-finals. She had not spotted the group yet but she knew them to well not to figure that they were probably napping or eating in Hiko's office.

It was a good thing though that the group didn't watch the eliminations because then Kenshin would have already freaked out seeing Cory walloping a man with a shinai. Well, because eliminations were just eliminations, the usual kendo gear wasn't strictly required and most of the competitors only wore a white gi and a colored hakama. Kaoru, however, aware that if these men knew she was female they would probably take it all easy on her, was already accessorized, which was a bad thing because the armor felt heavy on her chest and shoulders.

But she didn't care how uncomfortable she felt with the equipment because it was important that she conceal her identity first and the Men just about did the right job of hiding her face and her hair. The Tare and the Do shrouded her feminine frame and physique and well, thanks to the Kote, her French-manicured hands were safe at bay. It was embarrassing however that there were only two of them who wore the armor at the eliminations. But whatever. She hadn't come here to look good; she was here to make some people pay.

Thankfully, the competitors were only allowed to use a shinai in the eliminations and the semi-finals but it was made clear though, that during the last and final stage, they would be using real samurai katanas…swords that could cut through any throat if it was willed to do so. But hell no. It wasn't one of Kaoru's plans to slash her enemies to death…her way of revenge was to show them that they were wrong about her and that she was capable of doing things they never thought she was or will ever be. And defeating one of them in a sword match topped her things-to-do-for-revenge list.

Five. Only five of them made it through the finals and each one would be assigned to one of the club's best members. Kaoru creased out a confident smile. She had already made sure she would have the fight with Kenshin Himura as her match. She rumpled the piece of paper with a number 4 on it in her hands, which Hiko gave each of the five finalists after their thirty-minute break.

Kaoru instinctively glanced at the watch through the small holes of her mask and decided to time their battle. It was four in the afternoon already. The match would be over in fifteen minutes. Knowing her ex-captain, it would most probably take longer but given that, given that the whole group was familiar with the sword technique she used, the redhead would likely loose concentration.

Maybe it was cheating. Maybe it wasn't. But this time, the cheating idea seemed absolutely right.

The thirty-minute break was over and the girl was already sick hearing the other finalists raving about how easy it would probably be defeating these guys as they had not, after all, held a sword for three years. A light scoff was all Kaoru could offer in the conversation as her voice was very female. It was obvious though the other contestants didn't like her silence because they taunted her as they laughed, saying she was too scared to speak.

Scared?

Fear was the last possible feeling Kaoru had right now.

The men's conversation was cut short by Hiko's booming voice, ordering them to proceed to the main hall. Hurriedly, the five of them got to their feet and scurried away to the training room. Kaoru smiled beneath her mask, seeing the room hadn't altered one bit. The medals and the swords were still hanging on the wall. She narrowed her eyes to one familiar frame hanging askew from the rest. Her stomach churned and she felt herself in heat again. It was the one that bore her name.

Her teeth rattled in anger and her kote clutched her father's katana tighter. How dare them? It was as if she was never really part of the crew! And to think she almost killed herself in one of those sword matches just to earn one stupid medal that they could display in this stupid training room.

"Ready?" she instinctively spun her head around and saw Hiko with an inquiring glint in his eyes. She sighed and gave him a small nod. She was just thankful Hiko was as supportive as ever. She knew he didn't believe in the idea revenge but he did believe however, in the idea of teaching his students a lesson. The man saw every little thing his team did to its sole female member and as much as he tried to stop them, they didn't.

The first four matches were a bore. The other four finalists were already unconscious on the ground even before they had a chance to raise their swords. Kaoru admitted she was amused, amazed by the fact that her ex-teammates still hadn't lost their touch. Unnerved by the fact that she might just suffer the same fate as the other previous contestants, she decided it was up to her to challenge Himura.

Her eyes bulged wide as her teeth rattled, seeing Kenshin slowly stripping himself off the armory and the mask. Inside of her, she longed to do the same but she knew she can't. Cheating. Well, it wouldn't be called cheating because she didn't ask him to get rid of any protection. That jerk! He probably thought she was as wimpy as the other challengers.

Seijuro Hiko now walked in between them, their distance not over five meters. He was now telling the different rules and regulations in the match. Blah, blah, blah. Like all of them didn't hear those for a hundred times already. Hiko threw each of them a look and signaled for them to begin their match.

Kenshin slowly scrutinized his adversary while slowly leaning on to his sword. The fellow seemed quite thin and a lot flimsier than the previous finalists. His mere sight bore every inch of his body and all he wanted at that very moment was to get everything over with and get the five grand. He would use the money for an outing trip on the Hajime resort on Saturday and spend all day with Cory.

Cory. He missed her already and it was funny how he can't stop thinking about her.

The other guy took his fighting stance which rather perplexed the redhead. His position was familiar to him, like he had already fought someone who used that style. Cutting his thoughts away, he resumed to take his own fighting position. The eyebrows behind the mask rose.

"Ryu-no-tsui-sen" his opponent thought, a small smile smearing his red lips.

Kenshin now held his sword neck-level, ready to pounce on his opponent but just as he was about to leap, the boy behind the mask beat him to it. Before he realized what was coming, the boy was already inches from him, his sword fastidiously landing on his head. Kenshin gasped and quickly blocked the other sword with his, jumping as fast to the left. His opponent spun his head towards his direction and attacked him again, his katana aiming for his abdomen.

Kenshin jumped, avoiding the sudden move and then this time, he didn't let his opponent attack. He ran towards the boy and with an abrupt leap, targeted the boy's head. But the boy was nippy enough and maneuvered the move with something Kenshin knew too well.

But surely, what he had in mind was impossible. Or could it really be…

Kenshin stopped short, letting his precious guard down, giving his opponent ample access to every vital part of his body. With one clean swift move, the masked boy aimed for his knees and before he could think of countering the move, he fell headfirst to the ground, with the tip of the boy's sword against his throat.

The redhead swallowed hard, causing a small wound on his gullet. The boy never removed the weapon away from his, even when Hiko declared him winner. They just stared at each other, although Kenshin wasn't sure if it was him the boy was staring at because of the mask.

Who was this guy anyway?

"W-who are you?" the redhead managed, not taking his eyes off his challenger.

The boy took few moments to himself and slowly, suddenly, he raised his free hand to his Men. He removed the frame and yanked off the mask away from his face, revealing two blazing sapphire eyes and streaks of bluish ebony hair flying across the room, taking everyone's breath away.

So, the boy was really not a boy. It was a girl. But it wasn't just any other girl, it was Cory.

That move. No mistake about it, it was the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and there was only one person he knew that used that sword technique.

Kaoru.

Kenshin surveyed her for a while and his purple eyes bore her sapphire oceans, making sure if they were not playing tricks on him. But the idea of Cory slowly faded away from his head, replaced by that short pimple, fat girl he once knew in high-school. Was Cory Kaoru all this time? He didn't know what to believe at that moment. All that he could think about was that he was falling in love with the same girl he literally loathed the most.

His breath left his body, assured that it really was Kaoru. His face paled and he swallowed harder, causing the small wound to bleed again. He opened his mouth to say her name but it took him several seconds before he could finally speak.

"K-Kaoru?"

The girl took the sword away from his throat and swung it up so that it leaned on her neck. She arched one eyebrow up and her rosy but dry lips let out a triumphant smile. "So" she said tersely, penetrating into the strain like what her katana longed to do with Kenshin's neck. "You finally remembered"

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**Author's Notes:**

**Sorry if the update was late, my laptop went berserk last Monday and I just realized that I might be experiencing the symptoms of the writer's block. T-T Well, anyway, wish me luck!**

**Blooded wyngs: yeah, I know. Imagine the horror when I reread it and found that Kaoru mistake! That was my second one, was it? Thanks for reminding me and for the review, too. Kaoru marrying her cousin? Hmm…why not?**

**Rainer's cherub: don't worry about it, cuz. Just change my profile, okay? Thanks for the review…**

**Kaori-angel: (laughs) hope you like this update, thanks for the review!**

**Sapphire: Thank you very much and hope you like the update.**

**Antica: Thank you very much, antica. Don't worry, I might use your suggestion when I write another story…well, that is if I get well from this sort of writer's block thingy. You know, I just can't seem to write good stuff anymore. It's like my inspiration has drained away…but whatever…as long as there are still reviews, I'll try really hard to update…**

**Insanity's light: You're right, I shouldn't have let Akira butt into Kaoru's business…but hey, I think he might just be jealous of the redhead…thanks for your review…**


	10. Chapter 9: Shockwaves

_Disclaimer: RK does not belong to me and will never be mine for the rest of my life._

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**Chapter 9: Shockwaves**

Comprehension dawned but everyone was still too stunned to speak. Only Hiko who knew that would happen a long time ago and Kaoru, whose eyes still held Kenshin's were feeling at ease. Hiko stood at the far east corner of the room, the little smirk smearing his lips unnoticed. The other four finalists were whispering among themselves, regretting to have offended such a pretty girl and wishing they could have been a little nice to her a while ago. Pure admiration tainted their sweaty faces, admiration for her beauty and for her skills. Almost the entire men population in Japan wouldn't even dare to challenge one of these Kendo masters, let alone beat them! Seriously, how many pretty young girls were seen waving swords and challenging someone as skilled as Kenshin?

For the record, there were none. But now, Kaoru, ex-member of the same team had set the same records straight. Even a girl can hold a sword and kill someone if she wished to. Those Kendo pigs needed to learn that more than anything. But furthermore, they have to learn that beauty isn't everything.

The Kendo 'pigs' on the other hand stood together on another side of the room, directly opposite to where Hiko was. Sano and Amakusa who had been smoking out of boredom a while ago now dropped their cigarettes to the floor, their eyes wide and incredulous. Sou Okita who was on the phone also dropped the machine while Soujirou had long reckoned that the challenger might be someone they already knew. But it was sure as hell that Cory's face was the last one he expected to see when the challenger pulled the mask away.

But another shocker came to life. Cory, the girl who caught everyone's attention at the reunion, the girl who Kenshin was raving about, the girl who had one of the most innocent and daintiest he ever laid eyes on was no other than the team's only female ex-member who they deliberately ditched three years ago.

Cory was Kaoru!

What could be more shocking than that?

But sum up everyone's shock, multiply it by two and you get something that doesn't even amount to half of what Kenshin was feeling right now. To say that he was stunned, surprised and dumfounded would be an utterly disgraceful understatement. What he had was something beyond that, something mysteriously close to amazement…

He was still down on his butt, his face as pallid as Kaoru's white gi. He was trembling; that much was obvious and he had the most confused and flabbergasted face everyone in that room had ever seen. His eyes however were steady, fixed intently on the girl's, holding them there for what seemed like hours. It was like both their eyes were having their little own conversation, something both of them were not ready to engage into at that moment.

The little wound that Kaoru's sakaba had opened on his throat still oozed with blood, but no one; even Kenshin himself didn't seem to mind the pain. All that he was feeling was that one moment his insides were starting to leap and go out of his throat and the next, it felt like they never existed at all. The emotions that were battling inside him were inexplicable and he didn't know exactly what reaction to give. He didn't budge an inch, barely breathed. He just looked at her like some crazed idiot seeing a girl for the first time.

Victorious, overjoyed and intensely satisfied. That was exactly what Kaoru felt having everybody, especially this man lying in front of her, all staggered and just shocked. Just plain shocked. She wanted real bad to laugh, to laugh real hard at their sorry faces. But somehow, she was locked inside his eyes, and even if she how much she tried to, she couldn't seem to get out of them.

She knew inside her that she was a bit worried and a little guilty about the little wound she caused him. But she also knew that the little gash would not amount to the huge pain he alone inflicted on her. Sum that up with their group pranks and maybe one of their lives would be appropriate for damage repairs.

But, no. The big hole they caused in her life was irreparable. Even if they spend the rest of their lives imploring for her forgiveness on their knees, it still wouldn't be enough for the number of sleepless nights she spent crying over something as stupid and as selfish as the man who was now sharing an eye-to-eye moment with her.

Last Sunday was a tad significant to her because she thought maybe he had changed for the better, had grown into a much better person. She considered that and even had several frissons when he was upfront and near! She even went as far as considering backing off the whole revenge thing plot! But then one flashback of what he did, and gone are the fuzzy, tingly feelings she allowed herself to feel.

"Hi" she finally said her tone surprisingly casual. She finally succeeded averting her eyes onto something else, which was the yellow medal Hiko was holding in his hand. She lifted her head in a salute and called out, "Hung that medal beside by name, sensei!"

Seeing Hiko nod, she spun her head to where the other Kendo members were. They were all glaring at her like she was one of those formidable gangsters they once fought with in high-school. The four exchanged glances as she started making steps towards their direction, swallowing as she made finally made it to be inches away. She straightened up her body, her katana hanging loosely on her back.

The four expected she would probably slap them one by one or slash them all with one blow but instead, she held up a rather sweet smile. "Miss me?" she asked in a very friendly tone, making the question sound like it came from a very close friend who was away for several years.

Nobody dared to speak. Even Shougo, who was known to be the team's most cold-blooded, heartless and insensitive killing-machine, did not say a word. Sano opened his mouth several times but failed to have a make out a single letter. Okita and Soujirou looked at each other. As far as everyone in the team was concerned, they were barely part of the get-Kaoru-out-of-the-club plan. But just because they took no part in causing her pain doesn't mean they didn't have to pay. They knew the whole thing all along but didn't try to stop it.

Soujirou packed up all his courage into a smile, "Hey, Kaoru"

The other three looked at him and he fidgeted in discomfort. He twisted his head like a birdlike gesture and turned back to Kaoru. He quickly rummaged through his brain for appropriate words to say and went, "Congratulations" and thrust his hand to her with his smile in tact.

The girl glared at the hand and to its owner. "No thanks"

Seta fell silent and looked at Sano who was now formulating a move. He had some few one-liners and pick-up lines in mind but he wasn't sure if it was going to work. But Kaoru was still a girl and girls, according to his own little vocabulary, would easily give up on a good pick-up line. He heaved his chest and bit by bit neared the girl. With immense hesitation, he circled the girl's shoulder with one arm and gave her the most suave smile he could come up with. "Hey, Jou-chan!" the tall guy could see the girl arch up one eyebrow at the mention of her pet-name. She hated it. "Wanna hang out sometime and reminisce?"

Oops. Reminisce was the worst word anyone could remind her at the moment.

Kaoru never budged an inch nor said anything but Sano's arm remained on her shoulder. The girl shut her eyes and in a very acidic voice said, "Take your hands off me, Sagara or I'll swear to Kami-sama I'll slash your ass inch by inch and feed it to the dogs."

Sano immediately took his hands off her shoulder and backed off. It may looked like an empty threat but the way she looked when she said it told him she could really do it for real. When he was far enough, the girl made it a point to dust the part where Sano's hand lay. Seeing the guy's eyebrows tangling, Kaoru was sure she had hurt his ego deep enough.

"Sure" she gave out an obviously feigned smile and said sarcastically, "We could hang out sometime and talk about all the wonderful things I've been through in high-school"

The emphasis she made on wonderful made Kenshin rose to his feet and put his brain to work again. So, this was what it was all about.

Revenge.

"Look, Kaoru…"

"You have no right to call me by my name!" Kaoru hissed, glowering at him. Her eyes began to darken with fury and she held her sword at her side, tightening her grip on the handle. He had no right to speak to her, let alone call her by her first name.

"Kamiya" he continued, his breathing profuse and his eyes imploring. "We…we're truly sorry…"

"Well sometimes it just isn't enough, is it?" she countered bitterly.

"Just tell us what to do and we'll do it" it was Amakusa, his voice with a tad emotion.

"Oh" she smiled sardonically, "I'll tell you what you can do! You can cut your head with your friggin' sword, that's what you can do!"

Kaoru was still about to say something when a hand grabbed her arm. She turned around, pissed and when she saw that it was Kenshin's, she quickly used the other free hand and sent it flying to the redhead's face. The man stepped backwards, recovering from the impact. He raised one hand to his swollen cheek and gently kneaded it.

"You listen to me, you bunch of Kendo pigs!" she snarled, "Just because I succeeded beating the shit out of your beloved captain doesn't mean I've had enough." She then turned to Kenshin and confronted his eyes with her blazing own.

She went near him and when she was merely inches away, pushed his chest with a finger. "This isn't over yet, Himura"

Even before Kenshin could open his mouth to retaliate, she already disappeared through the door, the other four challengers following her exit. He stood there, motionless for a while until Sano came over and slapped his back softly.

"You okay?"

The redhead's eyes were still on the door, half of his entity still not over the disclosure a while ago. He shook his head inadvertently and hearing Hiko's scoff, turned to face his master. Hiko had his arms crossed, his face wearing an inexplicable expression that could have said, "You deserve that"

Cocking a brow, he approached the bigger man. "You knew all about this, didn't you?" he demanded with a pointed finger and an accusatory tone.

Seijuro shrugged his big broad shoulders and freed a slow grin. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. What could have been the difference?"

"Well you could have told us about this!"

"And I could have also told her what you did" he countered, his eyes starting to blacken. "Look kid. I already made it a point not to make my students' businesses mine. I took part in this whole thing because I want all of you fools to learn a lesson."

"And that would be…?" Kenshin's voice was challenging.

"Never hurt a woman" he answered sharply, the tone of his voice making clear that no one was to argue with that. He raised one of his bushy eyebrows, pivoted on his heel and started heading towards the door. "Baka deshi" he murmured before he finally vanished.

Kenshin froze, internalizing what Hiko meant. Maybe he did deserve what he got. And slowly but surely, all the embarrassment of defeat sunk in. All his former senseis were watching, as well as his former classmates. Not only that, Ayame and Aburo was there, too. Now they know. Frustration hung against his throat and he found it really hard to breathe. Overwrought, he slowly combed through his red bangs with his hands as he shut his eyes, hoping it will all go back in time when he opened them.

But, alas, everything was it was. The spectators who cheered for their team a while ago now erupted in loud whispers, their faces all disappointed and repulsed. Sano beckoned for them to go to the locker room but Amakusa had a better idea.

Tonight, they would drink all the things that happened that day away in the place they considered second home. The Pavilion.

Kaoru swung the door of the training room open and took heavy steps towards the main exit of the school. He gritted her teeth, sensing that the four finalists had followed her. She came to a halt, balled her hands and turned around to face her followers. "What?"

The first challenger who fought against Amakusa flashed a big goofy smile, revealing his mottling yellow teeth. He straightened up his eye glasses and inched towards her. "We just want to congratulate you" he said, thrusting his hand towards her.

Kaoru glared at his hand. "Right"

The second finalist who fought with Okita was even more leaner and more ridiculous. Kaoru recognized his voice. He was the one who bragged he could make Okita sleep with only one blow. And guess who was on the floor even before he could raise his sword up? The girl shook her head as he started to speak in that persnickety voice of his. "And we want to say sorry, too for not being so nice…"

Another odd thing? He held up his hands towards her, too.

Another glare and an incredulous scoff. "I swear you wouldn't say that if you didn't know I 'm a girl"

"No, we really mean it!" the third challenger said, offering her another dirty hand. Kaoru's teeth rattle at the sound of his squeaky female-like voice. This was the guy who said that she was probably the weakest of the five of them and that her making through the finals was just a stroke of luck.

The final challenger was the one Kaoru hated the most. He hated everything about him. His Elvis-Presley do, his fake Afro accent and his insane talks about sleeping with every woman he met. He also gave advices to the other three the right pick-up lines to say at the perfect time. His right hand was scratching his head while the other contributed to the four hands that were now lining for her to take.

"I love the way how you kick ass" the Elvis Presley wannabe ranted, flipping his hair like he was a movie star or something.

The girl moved her eyes from the hands to their owners and finally landed on the fourth guy. "Look here, buddy. If you think I'm going to fall for your lame pick up lines" –to the rest of the boys—"and your fake, phony apologies and praises, you're dead wrong." Then she held up her sword for them to see. "If you saw what happened in that room a minute ago, you should have known by now that I am in no frickin' mood to play with you idiots right now. Now, unless you want me to cut those hands for you, you better get them off my sight and leave"

Immediately, the hands disappeared and the owners scurried away to the exit. Kaoru freed a long heavy sigh and put down her katana. Finally, the day has ended. But her plans were just beginning.

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**Author's Notes: I'm very happy about the feedbacks about last chapter, I thought I was going to loose you guys over my writer's block thingy. I'm still not over it but I'm really trying hard. I apologize if the writing was pretty lame last chapter and it didn't bring out as much drama as I would like it to be…well anyhoo, im still glad ya'll like it! And I'm sorry in advance if I wouldn't meet your expectations in this chappie, well I do have a writer's block... But whatever, I still love you guys and I'll still update regularly! **

**Yoko: it's okay…there were a lot of you who weren't able to do that. I don't know why but it's okay with me. Thanks…**

**Kristy-chan: Really? I did a great job? (jumps to the air) Yey! I thought it was just okay, but I'm glad you liked it. And I hope you like this update. Thanks for your review.**

**Blacksheep21: (makes puppy eyes) aww…thanks a lot. I'm really happy you liked the butt wupping part…I actually did research about how to write a fight scene. You know, I read some fight fics…but mind, I didn't plagiarize! (titters) **

**Lazy reader: Well, I hope you didn't wait long…and I wish you don't get bored and lazy reading this one! (laughs) Thanks for the review.**

**Wanderinglunatick: Actually, I was supposed to write a diversion and introduce Aoshi into the story but then again I thought I was making you guys bored of waiting for Kenshin to discover Cory's real identity so there it was! Thanks.**

**RoyalblueKitsune: (strokes chin) actually, I'm quite trying to figure it out for myself. Uhm, do you have any suggestions? Oh and about the review part, it's okay, I totally understand. Thank you very much …**

**Rainer's cherub: meg, what have you done to your profile! It's like composed of only one line or something! (rolls to the floor) thanks for visiting the blog and for the review, too. You're the best. And about the writer's block…I'm trying real hard to get it off my hands…**

**Jiaen: (stucks out lower lip) aww…that was very sweet of you…thanks a lot and this chapter is for you…**

**Blooded wyngs: (rolls to the floor) you just can't give that a rest, can't you? Well, she was a child and she didn't know the boy was swimming towards a jellyfish. For someone who was familiar with the sea, maybe she was familiar with boys swimming in the ocean and didn't really know the boy was in danger and she giggled because…(laughs again)…little Kenshin was cute! Yeah, I know that was lame…well, anyhow…thanks a lot for your review…you totally made my day. **

**Blueangel-maggie: Oh yeah, he better watch out! Thanks and hope you like the update.**

**Insanity's Light: Oh, he sure did and I hope you like my update. '',**

**Hermione: Thanks a lot and I hope you like this update.**

**Kaori-angel: Well, I just thought an evil cliffhanger will do me good as a writer! (laughs evilly) I hope you like the other teammates reactions although it's kinda short but there'll be more of that in the next chappie.**

**Antica: thanks a lot. My inspiration is coming back bit by bit but I still have this block going on. Thanks to you very much and this chapter is for you.**

**Blvd: Thanks! Wow! And here I was thinking y'all would hate me…(whacks head) I hope you like the reactions…(chuckles)**

**Serphtears: Thanks! (nods) Oh, yes. Let the games begin…**


	11. Chapter 10: Depths

_Disclaimer: RK belongs to Watsuki Nobohiru, Sony, Shounen, Jump comics and other owners I failed to mention, for which I do not belong._

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**Chapter 10: Depths**

The rain came that night, darkness prowling over the tight street corners of the city. Everyone hurried away to shelter themselves from being drenched, others who had already perceived what others could not, walked normally under transparent umbrellas. The building waiting areas were narrowing with people and the restaurants that were normally empty were strangely full for the first time.

The Pavilion that night was fully occupied; the chairs that usually sat all day on the table were now being utilized by people who do not usually eat the restaurant. There were women, too, not whores. Others had a child or two in their grips while others had their arms circled around men that could only be their lovers. The men who usually talked rude and loud in the house had their mouths shut, their eyes on the downpour outside and their thoughts in the clouds.

Boy, the rain really gets you thinking.

As was their wont, Kenshin and the team headed directly to this place shortly after the _shocking _incident that afternoon. Shougo and Sano had already had hard-packs in their mouths even before they arrived while the rest of the group was silent. A couple of empty beer bottles were strewn carelessly on their table, some of the unconsumed liquid smearing the table. Those bottles that were still full stood beside Soujirou because he was the most cautious among them all.

They had been there for an hour already but it didn't seem like any second passed at all.

The redhead was resting his head on both his hands, which in turn were rested on the table. His head was slanted to the left, his eyes held emotions that the group had seen for the first time. Okita, being the number one conversationalist in the crew, couldn't take the agonizing silence anymore and finally spoke.

"Well, that was unexpected, wasn't it?" his question was thrown to no one in particular but it all landed on deaf ears all the same. Soujirou Seta fidgeted in his seat, turning his head to Kenshin's direction. His eyes narrowed slightly and he opened one bottle, poured some in a glass and nudged Kenshin's arm with it.

The redhead turned, his eyes questioning.

"It might do you good" Seta offered a harmless smile, too.

A tired, weak smile painted Kenshin's lips and he took the glass, bought it to his mouth, hesitated for a second and drank it all. He wiped his mouth lazily and slammed the glass on the table, making some heads turn to their spot. "Believe me, Soujirou, I've had a hundred of these already and I still don't feel any better"

"Well, perhaps a beach will do you good" Sano suddenly said in a light tone, his lips feigning a smile. He poured himself some sake which he bought himself and consumed the liquid.

The group turned to him, "What?" they chorused, attracting attention yet again.

"Well, why don't we go to that beach resort? Just because" –he hesitated first—"a girl defeated us doesn't mean we don't have to anymore"

"Sano" Kenshin said wearily, "That's exactly it. It wasn't just any other girl, it was Kaoru! Or Cory! Or whoever she is!"

"Believe me, she freaks me out…" Sano took another shot at the sake again.

"We couldn't blame her for acting that way. I mean, we did pull pretty nasty pranks on her." Okita said out of nowhere while Soujirou nodded in approval.

"Don't worry. That would be her last, she isn't that kind of girl" it was pretty amazing how after the threat that Kaoru gave them, Shougo was still cool.

"But didn't you see that creepy look in her eyes?" Sano demanded persuasively, mimicking a shiver.

"She didn't mean it. Trust me, that girl's had just about had enough. For all we know, she could be packing her things to leave Japan right now"

"How come you sound so sure?" The question was acidic and Kenshin couldn't believe why Amakusa was suddenly talking all these weird things about Kaoru. He didn't know her! Nobody did! Even he didn't! And he fell in love with her just like that…

"Because" Shougo glared, "Sayo told me shortly after that girl dropped out of school, that she spearheaded the fund-raising program for my sister's second chemotherapy. If you all remember, that was the time when I missed out a whole week of school for work. We didn't have any money for her second treatment and the doctors said that if she didn't have it on time, it could possibly terminate the whole chemotherapy process. But then, she just came up to me one time on my nightshift and handed me this envelope. In that envelope was more than enough money for her treatment. I asked her where she got it from so I could thank them personally but she told me that I didn't have to know."

He paused for a long breath. "I asked her for a clue and she said that the help came from her angel. I finally gave it a rest. And then when the news about Kaoru dropping out of school came out, she just ran to me crying and told me that her angel was Kaoru. This may sound real crazy but it was the first time I felt really grateful to someone. We're all stupid to do those things to a really sweet girl"

Amakusa reached out for Sano's sake bottle, raised it to his mouth and sucked the liquid in straight from the spittle. He slammed the bottle on the table and lifted his head to face his friends. For the first time, a little blush crept on the corners of his face. It could have been from the wine. But it also could have been from the embarrassment he was feeling at that moment and the waves of guilt hovering all over his entire being.

The rest of the gang fell silent again for several seconds, and then minutes. The pang of guilt now stabbing their insides was worse than the nastiest fight they had with the city's most notorious gangsters. Amakusa and Sano both took turns emptying the sake while Okita and Soujirou helped themselves with the bottles of beer. Kenshin, on the other hand, was deep in thought, the urge to go run and apologize to Kaoru heightening with each falling rain drop, the hurt in his heart deepening with each passing second.

The embarrassment she gave him by defeating him in a Kendo match in front of hundreds of people, now totally fading away to quick oblivion.

Suddenly and out of the blue, he stood up, gathering every little attention that was in the restaurant. He slammed his hands on the table, his face wearing this really grimly-determined expression. "We should go to her now and apologize!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Sano hollered, standing up, "I agree but now's not the right time"

"Now is a perfect goddamn time, Sano!" he snapped, "She might be preparing to leave again like Shougo said. I can't let her leave without telling her I'm sorry! Do you understand that, Sano, don't you?"

"I do" the guy answered softly, "but don't you think she needs more time…I mean, just saying you're sorry doesn't prove you really are"

_Well sometimes it just isn't enough, is it?_

Her words washed over him like a tidal wave. Sano was right. She probably won't buy it anyway. Kenshin sat down and Sano did the same. His nerves were getting very jumpy and he needed to do something with the situation at hand. All he wanted to do was go to her and apologize for everything he did. But that wasn't all there was to it because he was facing another situation. He was in love with her!

Her! Kaoru Kamiya!

"We need to think of something, someway to make her at least feel better" Okita suggested in a lively tone, "we could like bring her to the resort or something"

Sano glared at the petite man, "And what makes you think she would come?"

"We could cook for her" Soujirou deviated.

Kenshin smiled, recalling last Sunday when she attempted to cook for him. Then he frowned. So, was the horrifying meal she prepared for him part of her revenge? Or was she just naturally bad at cooking? He shook his head, "Nah, it wouldn't work. We met last Sunday and I tried to cook for her, and everything went horrible"

"Well" Shougo breathed, leaning back to his chair, "I guess all we can do right now is wait"

"Wait?" Kenshin demanded, "Wait for what?"

"Wait for her to cool down" he answered coolly, snatching another stick for the cigar box. Slowly, he reached for the lighter and began smoking again. The last thing he said sounded like there was another sentence coming, "That way, it wouldn't be so hard for her to forgive"

Soujirou twirled his head to Kenshin. "He's right"

Kenshin titled his head towards the rain and observed the intervals of the falling raindrops on the window. Amakusa's probably right. Maybe all he had to do is wait…and then, when the time is right, maybe they could come to a term where both of them will forget and start over again. And maybe, he could tell her that he loved her…

"So, do we still go to the resort, tomorrow?" Sano pressed again. He turned to Kenshin, "You know buddy, getting away from this horrible city air might do you good. So what do you say?"

"Why do you want to go the beach so bad anyway?" Okita inquired curiously, making a face while emptying the last shot of the bottle.

Sano blinked, wiping a little smear of sake on his lips. He then clapped his hands and giving Okita a mischievous look, he formed the shape of a girl's body with his hands. Okita shook his head and Soujirou groaned. Here comes the lady-killer speaking in Sano again. Sometimes, the rest of the crew found Sano's immense playboy-nature annoying because he would always find a way to drag them with him in his regular girl-hunting trips. It was also his sole fault why Shougo and Okita got involved with the girl-business. Kenshin, however, was already a pro in that department even before Sano realized it was also one of his forte, aside from fighting and bullying.

"Sure" Kenshin suddenly said, his face still on the rain. "I guess we could take a little time off. And Sano, you're probably right. Maybe I do need a breath of fresh air."

The width of Sano's grin reached his ears and he snatched the sake bottle from Shougo and drank it all. After that, he sat silent for a while and then suddenly, he jumped from his seat and sang joyously while the rest of the people in the Pavilion gasped in surprise.

Kenshin smiled and returned his gaze to the window, his thoughts drifting to Kaoru again. What could she be doing at this very moment? What could she be thinking? And was there any possibility that she might share the feelings he had right now for her? These questions were only few of the many things that swam inside his mind. But generally, all he could really think about was Kaoru.

_From the depths of his heart, he knew and was sure, that was he was feeling right now, was no less than love._

The kitchen of the Kamiya residence was dark and silent, only the usual breathing of the refrigerator and the light humid draft trespassing from outside made sound. There was also the annoying clucking of raindrops on the roof and the quiet little sobs the only human in the dark was making. She was sitting motionless on one of the wooden dining chairs, her silhouette eaten completely by the darkness. In front of her, was an untouched glass of milk, its heat melting into the cold. The air from outside made her bluish black locks rise from her shoulders, plastering all over her wet face. No, she hadn't gone under the rain. The water she had on her features was no more than heartfelt tears.

Kamiya Kaoru hiccupped, her skin hairs rising from the cold. Akira had told her to go to sleep, but she couldn't seem to close her eyes without thoughts of the redhead haunting her. She asked for Akira's advice on the matter, and he told her to follow whatever her heart willed to do. But, what did her heart want? For a moment there, she felt her heart was nothing but a complicated farrago of confusion. It didn't seem very reliable at that moment.

She pulled out one long heavy sigh and traced the form of the glass, still feeling no desire to even drink a single drop of the milk. Akira prepared it for her, saying she should give it a rest. She didn't understand what he was trying to say. Was he talking about her or the revenge? Which ever it was, a huge part of her had to agree. She was tired as hell but strangely, she found no longing to sleep. All she wanted was to think things over…if Akira was telling her to stop the revenge scheme, maybe he was right. She should just pack her things and leave Japan, only this time, for good.

But, no. She has had enough with running away. She was not going to run away this time. She had to face her demons, before finally; she could have the peace of mind that seemed to have eluded her for so many years. She shifted in her seat in alarm, hearing the distant sound of footsteps descending from the stairs. Then, she calmed. It might have been Akira's. Not a minute later, a manly silhouette appeared at the door, its hand carrying something that appeared like a cup.

The girl blinked, "Akira?"

The shadow neared her, "No, honey. It's dad"

Kaoru blew her bangs and inhaled the air. Then she greeted her father weakly, "Hi, dad"

"What are you doing here, sitting down so late?" Somehow, the voice carried a little angry tone but was obscured by the anxiety that hung around the mysterious serenity of his voice. Before Kaoru could utter the reply, her father already pulled a seat and sat down beside her. "Do you have a problem?"

"No, dad" she said softly, "Just can't sleep"

"Can I ask why?"

"Hmmm…" Kaoru trailed off, her voice as if in a trance. "Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, sweetheart" Tetsuro reached for her hand and when he found it, he squeezed it tight. From the way she spoke, he already figured what was bothering his daughter.

"How do you know when you've had enough?" she asked, her eyes on the glass.

He smiled in the dark, "Darling, only your heart can tell you"

Kaoru frowned, biting her lower lip. What is it with these hearts? First Akira, and now her dad! What is her heart telling her anyway? She lifted her head and faced her father. "I don't know what it's telling me, dad" she said wearily.

"Well, maybe you're not listening" he chided, "Sometimes, Kaoru…the best revenge you can give is forgiveness"

"Dad! This is not about revenge!" she protested, trying to obstruct her tone from rising. She wanted to believe so, but deep inside her she knew, everything she was right now revolved around revenge. Yes, they made her life all about revenge. And no matter how hard she tried, she just can't seem to get out of it.

"Kaoru" she felt her father's hand tighten its grip around hers. "The more you push yourself to make these people pay, the more you're making yourself hurt. The only reason why you can't have that peace of mind is because you're holding yourself back. Sometimes, darling, it's better to let go and move on"

The girl sniffed ruefully, tears stinging her eyes. Gently, she held her father's hand with the free one and lifted her head to meet her father's comforting orbs. She smiled. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was time to let go…maybe it was the only way she could finally have one straight night of sleep, without the thoughts of her misery in high-school haunting her.

_Enough is enough. _

She had showed them her capabilities and that was enough to teach them a lesson. She finally made her decision. When she would open her eyes the next morning to greet the day, it would be of a fresh start. After tonight, she would officially pack all her grudges, put them in an empty box, burn them all and move on at last with her heart free and her thoughts refreshed.

With another heave of her chest, she let everything out, evaporating them all in the darkness that seemed to oddly contribute to her comfort. Anger, misery, pain, vendettas….they were all gone. And maybe, if fate would have it, when their paths cross again, this time, they would just all laugh about it and start over as friends.

And maybe, considering the tingly frissons she has had around Kenshin, something more than that…

She shut her eyes close, sensing her father standing up. She knew him too well. Then, she felt his lips on her forehead. Mussing her hair, her father gathered his cup and placed it on the sink. Turning around to Kaoru, he suddenly asked, "Would you like to come fishing with me and Akira tomorrow?"

Kaoru stood up and gave her dad a warm smile. "Sure, papa"

Tetsuro stopped short for a moment. His daughter never called him 'papa' since she was eight. It was odd why she suddenly, out of the blue, just called him that. His bushy brows entwined as he inched towards his daughter. "I've never heard you call me 'papa' since you were in second grade, _hime-chan_"

Now, it was Kaoru's turn to loll to a stop. What did her father just call her? Wasn't that the same name the girl who saved Kenshin's life had? With tangling brows, Kaoru asked, "Have you always called me princess, dad?"

Tetsuro grinned. "I have, since the day I laid eyes on you"

"Does every father call their daughters princesses?"

He chuckled, "Why the sudden show of interest?"

"Nothing really…I just want to know"

"Sure" he answered casually, "every daughter is a princess to her dad."

Kaoru nodded. Her father made another point again. She couldn't have been that girl. It was too coincidental. And besides, like her dad said, there were hundreds of father who call their daughters princesses and _hime-chan_ might also be a real name, instead of a pet-name. So, it wasn't her. Period.

"Dad, about that fishing trip…"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask where?"

"Hajime resort. Do you still remember that? We go there every summer to fish when you were still a kid"

She nodded absently, standing up. Planting another fatherly kiss on Kaoru's forehead, Tetsuro bid her daughter good night and ordered her to rest herself. Kaoru smiled to herself, feeling light for the first time in a very long time. Somehow, she felt a sudden thrill about fishing. The sunshine and the water would be a perfect outlet for her newfound freedom. She would finally have real fun in years!

But that's not all to it, too. There was also something…some strange feeling something unexpected might happen there, an adventure or something. Kaoru stretched her arms and yawned, finally, sleepiness dawning on her. She placed her cold milk in the fridge and headed towards the stairs, prancing happily towards her room.

_From the depths of her soul, she knew and was sure, that what she was feeling right now, was no less than happiness._

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**Author's Notes: Well, thanks to the reviews and the last episode of Hoshi no Kaleido, I'm finally over that writer's block! I'm sorry if this update is late. Actually, I finished writing this chapter two days ago but I couldn't update because our phone lost its dial tone. Having that, I couldn't go connect to the net. Nevertheless, here it is! Oh and by the way, if y'all wanna e-mail me, please do at and NOT because I forgot the password for infinity. Thanks, minna! I hope you all like this chappie! **

**JMai: (squeals excitedly) really? THANK you very much! I feel so happy I could hug my computer screen! It's okay you didn't review many times…I'm happily okay with just one. Btw, I'm glad your pc's fixed…mine was too just before the dial tone in our phone was cut off. (laughs) bummer, huh? Anyhoo, thanks again!**

**Sapphire: Thanks. About the revenge thingy, the other reviewers are right. Even though I can make Kaoru the deadliest monster to ever walk Japan, the fact still remains that I can't change who she really is. The good old kindhearted Kaoru will always be there no matter how vengeful she might be…and that's why…I'm sorta giving her a rest…**

**Babybluesjaded: Nah uh. Actually, I considered that alternative but then I realized if I made Kaoru cry and feel guilty about her feelings all of a sudden, it would make her look weak and besides, I don't want to let those 'kendo pigs' get away this time! (laughs) Thanks for the review! I hope you like the update…**

**Insanity's Light: Hell yeah! You just can't imagine how pissed I was when I was writing the scene where the four jerks followed her…but I thought it did good to show how sometimes, men could be petty losers sometimes…thanks for the review!**

**Y. Ling: Thanks and I hope you like the update…**

**Lazy reader: (giggles) I'm glad you're not! Thanks!**

**Blooded wyngs: (rolls to the floor again) OMG! You really make me laugh! Anyways, nope, I'm not turning this into a dark fic and I finally returned Kaoru to her carefree, optimistic, happy self. I don't think I'll turn her back into the 'cold' person she was…you're totally welcome and thanks again! You're one of the best reviewers I've had! (hugs)**

**Bluenagel-maggie: (laughs) so glad you liked the but-wupping part! (laughs again) Thanks for your review!**

**Antica: Oh, believe I can't stop my hands from writing that part! After I saw the last episode of Kaleido star, the inspiration just came back and all I could think about was writing! OMG! I was totally into writing the ken-kao conversation! It's so romantic! Just you wait!**

**Hermione: I'm glad you like it and it's okay not to have THE look because as long as you have a clean heart, you're beautiful than those models! (smiles) Thanks for the review.**

**Kaori-angel: The communication will be in the next chappie and I'm half-way to being finished! I hope you like that one too!**

**Kristy-chan: Thank you and I hope you liked this chappie!**

**Reignashii: (nods) I so totally agree on that part! Well, Kaoru's back to normal now…and I'm sorry I made her act that way…it's just that these things Himura and the others did caused her this pain she THOUGHT she wouldn't get over with…well until the little talk she had with her father. Other couples? I'm thinking Misao and Aoshi and there's Tomoe and Akira. Thanks for the review.**

**Gypsy-chan: (jumps around and squeals excitedly and kisses the computer screen!) OMG! OMG! I CAN'T believe you read one of my stories! I mean it's like meeting the most popular Hollywood star! I am such a great fan of your stories and you of course…actually, I read them in your site that's why I wasn't able to review here on I actually read all those in the romantic and comedy categories! Well, thanks to you I came across so happy you liked it! And don't worry, I concede. I don't think I can just take the kind-hearted and loving girl away from Kaoru. It wouldn't be justice. (chuckles) Well, anyway, I hope you like my update because I dedicate this to you.**

**Serphtears: I'm sorry, Serphtears but the game is over. But I hope you still read the story even if I changed Kaoru…(laughs) I can't say she'll be nice to Kenshin already because she is STILL recuperating…(grins)…thanks anyway!**

**Miharu Kawashi: (sniffs) aww…that was really sweet of you! I'm glad you like Kaoru's character here, thanks for the review and I really hope you liked this chapter.**

**Blvd: (laughs) Gee, thanks! I hope you like the update…**

**Becky: Another but-wupping fan! (laughs) thanks very much…**

**RoyalblueKitsune: (hugs RoyalblueKitsune) Thank you very much for your review! It sort of, in a strange way, got the plot flowing again…thank you really, and I know I can't change Kaoru that way, actually, I realized that if she didn't change fast, what would happen? I mean, I think revenge would just make the story boring. And besides, I categorized this story as romantic…and I will make it that way. Thanks a lot. This chapter is also for you…**

**DeeKaui: Thanks. I'm glad too! I feel light again and there's just so many things I wanna write about! Anyway, I hope you liked this update…**


	12. Chapter 11: Waters

_Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is SO not mine…but I'm sure y'all know that already!_

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**Chapter 11: Waters**

The vast ocean shores were a scene of total chaos, just as what Kaoru had perceived. Four separate games of water polo were well underway with all in attendance of the yelling and splashing. Girls in bikinis and men in brief swimming trunks were sprawled on towels and chaise lounges, their bodies slick with suntan lotions and sun blocks, toasting under the scorching rays of the summer sun. Beer cans and portable CD players were strewn everywhere, and music was blaring over the main cottage speakers.

Kaoru lifted her eyes to the sun, straightening her glasses, then her purple buric hat. She was a bit annoyed because Akira and her father didn't tell her about staying here for a couple of days because if her memory still served her right, they were supposed to be fifty miles away from here, sitting on the lower deck of their coastal boat waiting for fish. But now, they were walking towards one of the premiere cottages of the resort, which they will be occupying for no more that five days.

When asked why, Kaoru's dad just smiled and told her this was their goodbye party to Japan because they were leaving on Tuesday for Germany. Tetsuro had received a call from the General two days ago, saying that he had to go back as soon as possible. It would have been okay if they stayed there again for another couple of years, but it wasn't that way. Tetsuro said that if she decided to come with him, she would have to leave Japan for good because he was stationed there permanently.

It came as a really good shocker for Kaoru, but her dad told her in a very light tone that he wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't like and there was still Ms. Moritama to watch over her if she decided to stay. She knew it needed a nippy decision but somehow, nothing close to that matter perturbed her thoughts. And besides, she already told herself she wasn't going to run away…

Akira cleared his throat rhetorically, making her turn his way. "What?" she asked, ducking her glasses to meet his brown eyes.

A sheepish grin touched the man's lips and he lifted the surf board he was holding in his left arm higher. He smiled again and shook his head, "I don't know…it's just…there's something different about you today"

She giggled, almost like a little girl. "I am different. Akira, I finally followed your advice to give it a rest"

A manly chuckle escaped from his throat as his hands rumpled Kaoru's hair that was strangely braided that morning. Well, it was strange because it made her look like a scrawny innocent fifteen-year-old, and he didn't like how his insides reacted to it. They were cousins. Blood-related. Impossible. The girl groaned as he suddenly started to laugh, kicking crystals of sand towards her feet.

"I love you, Kaoru" he said softly, pulling her head towards his lips. "And I'll always be here no matter what"

The girl's eyebrows tangled and she lifted her head from his chest. Something was strange, compelling and final in the way he spoke those words, something that sent little shivers down through her spine. She tittered nervously, pulling away from his hold. "Well, why do you sound like an amorous Latino poet or something?"

One dark brow lifted, "Do I?"

The girl pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "Yes, you do!" she stomped and then smiled, "I like it. You know what, Akira?"

"What?"

"If you always sound like that, you'll probably get yourself hundreds of women in bikinis today!" and she pointed towards the hundred of sexy women clad in colored, plain, spotted and 'barely' bikinis. She playfully nudged Akira's side that made the man snort a little.

"Stop it, Kaoru. I already have someone in mind"

Kaoru was sure it was a joke but the statement sounded pretty serious for it to be one. This time, it was Kaoru's turn to arch one eyebrow, "Who?"

Akira's smile was strange and new, "I'll tell you on Tuesday"

"But that's the day papa's going to leave…"

"Exactly"

Before Kaoru could open her mouth to speak, Akira had already advanced towards their cottage, leaving her dazzled and slightly confused. Why not tell her now? Normally, when she asked him about his crushes, there was no mite of hesitation involved and he directly gave her a name. Apparently, she wasn't the only one acting different today. He was acting mysterious, too…with the strange amorous 'I love you' of his that must have meant something else.

What else could it mean but I love you?

Kaoru scratched her head. Akira never told her he loved her, at least not in a boyfriend-to-his-girlfriend way. His I-love-yous were always casual and friendly and cousin-ly and brotherly…and he would always laugh after saying the three words that seemed to be nothing but obsolete to him except for friendly reasons…

She shook her head, snapping the thoughts away. Akira would never ever consider her as something more than a cousin, or a best friend. And besides, even if he did, it was illegal and impossible and just merely…foolish. She smiled to herself and eventually freed a small crispy laugh. What was she thinking?

"Wait!" she called out, "Wait for me!" and she ran towards her father and her cousin.

Their cottage, mind, which was one of the premiere and best cottages of the resort, stood some few yards away from the beach and beside other two cottages. Theirs had a certain rustic feel, the exterior clad in wood. The window joinery was pine and was constructed in the traditional board-and-batten way with vertical rectangular boards overlapping each other. The roof was made of composite shingles, a perfect setting to watch the sunset, if one would dare.

Breathless, Kaoru followed Akira and her father up towards the entrance of the house, taking the steps that lead to a large porch, which ran around three sides of the cottage. A wide overhang on the southern side prevented too much sun from entering, especially during these days of summer. To the right of the entrance, a large covered sitting area extended out beyond the line of the main porch. A solid railing created a semi-closed area that felt like a room, while allowing views of the surrounding grounds.

Tetsuro gave them an excited smile before fitting the key inside the lock of what seemed like a French door. The door swung open and the fresh unmistakable smell of cedar filled their senses. What was inside was even more beautiful and refreshing that they ever imagined. Like the exterior, the interior of the cottage was dominated by wood. The walls and ceiling were cedar while beech tongue-and-groove boards were used on the floor.

They then proceeded to the living room, which also, was the dining area at the same time. Throughout the interior, muted natural colors such as cream and green complement the wood and reflect the sort of country theme the huge 'cottage' had. The kitchen was smaller, slightly recessed behind a small closet to separate it from the living dining area.

Kaoru heaved a long sigh and sunk down on one of the fat creamy sofa chairs. "Dad, this is beautiful"

Tetsuro nodded, proceeding to empty his bag of its contents and putting them one by one on the table. A fishing rod, a jar of earthworms, a bucket hat and his beloved vintage aviators. He turned to them and raised his fishing rod as a gesture, "Shall we go fishing?"

Kaoru and Akira exchanged glances. With a raise of Akira's dark eyebrows, they both rose from their seats, ready to go catch some fish…

"Damn!" Sano exclaimed, covering his face from the sun, "It's too hot!"

Okita laughed, slapping Sano's back softly. "You have no right to complain, Sagara. This is after all, your idea"

Sano groaned as the rest of them continued walking. Everything was exactly what the group supposed it would be: blatant water games and the sexy beautiful women in bikinis sunbathing under the sun's undying heat. However, it was only Sano who took interest in this department because the rest of them where still too guilty to enjoy looking at other women knowing they had just offended one and was just defeated in a Kendo match by the same one. The last was unforgivable, knowing how the egos of men work but considering the former, a little mocking defeat was insufficient.

The group was walking towards their cottage, which they worked hard to pay for. It wasn't really necessary for them to get one of the most premiere houses of the resort, it was just that it was one of their 'codes' to get only the best. And the cottage they were getting matched exactly with their expectations. However, there was one thing that bothered them: it was beside two other cottages. Privacy wasn't really an issue but what they in mind was completely otherwise. Nevertheless, the cottage they had was more than okay. But because men were men, they didn't really fully appreciate the beauty their shelter had. Sure, the little rustic house garnered a few wows from the boys but other than that, not really.

Outside, the same water polo games were still making noise all over the resort, others who weren't playing, rode the waves while others simply swam all around with their friends and family. Still there were others who were too idle to get up their on their butts and just plainly laid on their backs, earphones on both ears and savoring the scorching heat of the hot plate above. And then, there were still others, girls mostly, who swarmed around a particular man sitting on an umbrella seat, his strict dark eyes watching the swimmers before him with intent.

Aside from being the owner's only guy cousin, he was also the resort's sole life guard and was notably pretty good at it. He only worked there every summer and when he did, the resort always received a full house reaction from almost half the population of Japan, especially women. Because not only was he handsome and muscular and totally stunning, he was also a skilled swimmer, rich and highly intelligent. There was, however, a little downside to being in his shoes: he was cold and nonchalant and completely anti-social. Most of the time, he was in solitude and if he ever talked, it was only to his cousin and other people the rest of the society didn't know about. He was strange, handsome, dorky, snobby, ill-tempered, talented, amazing and a whole lot of other contrasting things. He was a man desired by many women, revered by many men in his field. He was traditional and boring and predictable. He was ordinary. He was Shinomori Aoshi.

He lifted one dark brow, annoyed and irritated by the number of ladies giggling and squealing all over him. There were notebooks, papers, pens, arms and even a buttock thrust into him accompanied by the shrill voices of these girls shouting his name and begging for his autograph or photo. There were also a myriad of cameras flashing before his eyes but even before the photographers could take a second shot, he had already drove them away with one swift glower of his piercing dark orbs.

Completely pestered and agitated with his opposite sex, he stood up sarcastically and without a word, walked away from the crowd. It wasn't really useful because wherever he went, there were always a couple of girls tailing after him, one or two with papers and digital cameras. He groaned as the women continued to follow him so he decided it was time to take a swim.

He turned around, facing the beach and the people in it. So far, so good. No sign of drowning, killing or splintering was reported. He gave an exasperated sigh before untying the towel that was wrapped around his waist, knowing very well that it would only give more encouragement to these women to follow him around. He didn't really know the reason why they were chasing him like lunatics, nor was he interested in ever finding out. All he knew at that very moment and every moment he was playing lifeguard in a beach, was that women were annoying and he most certainly didn't like being any closer with one.

He advanced towards the water, the waves touching his toes. It was a bit cooler that he expected. He took a few steps forward and was about to plunge in when suddenly, another jagged scream was heard. A good ten meters away was a fifteen-year-old girl slapping the water fanatically, like she was drowning or something. He rolled his eyes towards the illuminated summer sky and scratched his head, then he scoffed. She must be yet again another one of those young girls who pretend to be drowning just so they could get a mouth-to-mouth. She should stop that in a while after she realized he wasn't going after her in any way.

He crossed his arms, his feet not making any signs of movement. His eyes were fixed on the girl intently, making sure first if the drowing was acting or real. If it was acting, damn her but if it was real, then he would be damned. He surveyed the people around and saw that they were quite alarmed about the situation and were now calling for a lifeguard, while others were already swimming towards the girl. One lady even jumped overboard from her coastal boat just to attempt to save someone who wasn't really in danger. But really, how could he tell if she was just pretending or not?

He shook his head, deciding to go save her anyway. Stretching his long arms, he plunged in the water and began swimming as fast as he could to the girl who was drowning. Real or not, it was still his job.

Kaoru was still waiting a good fifty miles away from shore for fish when she spotted an alarming figure just a few yards away. When she looked through her binoculars and saw that it was a little girl drowning, she immediately informed her dad to drive closer to the shore and when she was close enough to the drowning figure, she immediately jumped overboard, flipping her arms as fast as she can towards her.

After a few seconds of waddling, she had finally reached the drowning person and directly grabbed her waist. Luckily, the girl wasn't that heavy and she was able to bring her to shore without having too much difficulty. Finally feeling the sand on her body, Kaoru freed a long labored sigh and collapsed beside the girl, catching her breath while trying to think. Where was the lifeguard anyway? Wasn't it his job to save drowning people? Especially fifteen-year-old girls?

There were whispers all around her and not a second later, they were already swarmed with people. The lifeguard was now giving the girl a mouth to mouth after pumping breath out of her chest. Kaoru tried to get up and even without enough air to speak, walloped the lifeguard on the arm and demanded a reason why he wasn't there to save her.

"I thought she was just pretending to be drowning" he answered coolly as he continued to pump her chest.

Now this enraged her more! He glared at the man and pushed him aside. "Let me do that!" she hissed, applying mouth to mouth to the girl. When she still wouldn't budge, she started to pump her chest, harder and harder with every try. Loosing herself in panic and in thought that this little girl might die, she gathered all her energy to her fist and banged it hard against her upper body. A second later, the little girl was already coughing with water and the people around her clapping like it was some kind of a show intended for entertainment.

"Are you okay, miss?" Kaoru asked worriedly, helping her get up but even before the girl could open her mouth to answer, a beautiful lady jostled among the crowd and threw herself to the girl. Kaoru blinked. Is she her sister?

"Misao!" the lady exclaimed, "Are you okay? I'm so worried about you!"

So, the girl who almost drowned was Misao. Kaoru stood up and started dusting herself off of the sand and was about to get herself out of the mass, when subconsciously she bumped her head on a pale chest. She shook her head, her mind still absent.

"I'm sorry…" she trailed off to silence as she looked up to see who the chest belonged to.

A pair of lavender eyes bored into her sapphire ones, a sweet smile touching the corners of his lips. It was Kenshin and beside him, Sano, Okita, Shougo and Soujirou., all of them with surprised expressions. Kaoru blinked and looked at them again, suddenly her mind coming back to her.

Why were they here?

Sensing the tension hovering around the six of them, Kaoru looked away, uttering a barely audible, "_Hey…_" and was about to walk when Akira came.

"Kaoru are you okay…."

Kaoru turned to Akira and saw him strangely having an eye-to-eye contact with the beautiful lady who she supposed was the sister of the girl she saved. She grimaced, raising a curious eyebrow. From the look of things, they knew each other well.

"Tomoe!" Akira exclaimed, a wide smile etching his lips.

"Hello, Akira" The lady smiled as she assisted Misao to stand up. Then she tittered, "Small world, huh?"

Kaoru freed a little scoff, taking a little glimpse of Kenshin and his group. What a small annoying world it is, indeed.

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**Author's Notes: Hmm...actually I don't know waht else to say except thanks! wELL, thanks you guys! You're the best! I'm sorry I updated late again..we went to the beach for three whole days and i must say a lot of ideas came over me during those times...well anyway, thanks again! And I hope y'all like this update.**

**blueangel-maggie: really? well, you'll be surprised...haha...thanks...**

**Kristy-chan: yeah, well you know, i wrote that daughter-father scene because i realized that if anyone at all, can change Kaoru's mind, that person would be her father! Thanks a lot!**

**hermione: You're very welcome! And thanks, too for your review and I hope you like the update.**

**Gypsy-chan: Yey! Thank you very much, gypsy! Yeah, you don't know how happy I felt when I saw my stories on your site! You're very welcome and I hope you go over with this chapter, too because you already know I'm not fond of proofreading what i write. i guess you could call me a lazy writer but that's me! Thanks very much and I hope you like this update, too.(laughs) **

**DeeKaui: (blushes) Thanks, I'm really glad y'all appreciate the little daughter-father talk. And yeah the boy's are going to find every single possible way to get through Kaoru's soft side and eventually, they can all laugh together. I'm planning to write that chapter...hopefully...thanks again and I hope you like the update!**

**Insanity's Light: Well, I guess you'll find that out next chappie. (chuckles) Thanks and I hope you like this chapter.**

**Miharu Kawashi: Yeah, you were right. (laughs) I guess I made it too obvious! Haha! But wait for the twist! It's sooo evil! (evil luaghs) Well, anyway, thanks a lot for the review and I hope you like this chappie, too.**

**O.o Kaoru-chan o.O: (laugs) Gracias, amiga! (laughs again) Seriously, I suck at Spanish but I do love French! Oh and no! No review is ever too long, okay? Write as long as you long as you like! Well, I'm glad you liked the story and about the end, well, I'm not thinking about that yet but since you mentioned it, yeah, maybe, we're getting close to that part. But there's still a lot I wanna write about this story. Thanks very much for the review and I hope to see you again this time around.**

**antica: Oh, no!Everyone would hate me if I made Kenshin mad...(laughs)..I'm glad you liked it...and thank you very much..my inspiration came back because of you so arigatou! I hope you like this update, too!**

**Reignashii: Yep, her father will remember Kenshin, but I'm gonna have to postpone that first for the big evil twist (evil laughs) Bwahahahaha! But the life-span of Akira and Tomoe is just short...I hope you understand..Oh yeah, Saito is surely gonna be there! Mwahahaha! And yeah, they're back to where they first started. But there's an evil twist! (evil luaghs again) Anyhoo, thanks a lot for the review!**

**Serphtears: Thanks and I hope you like the update.**

**icyblossom : oh don't worry..i'll fix that..and if you remember the chappie when kenshin narrated to Kaoru about that girl who saved him..you'd see that the girl actually left something behind to Kenshin's father. (smirks) Thanks for the review!**

**blooded wyngs: you are definitely one of the best reviewers i have! (gets kleenex) well, you're right..and I am giving Akira a little spotlight in the next coming chappies...and you'll realize that sessha is worthy of kao's love. (laughs) well, whatever that means. Aww! So I did make it too obvious! (whacks head) Anyhow, thanks and I hope you like the update.**

**Royal blueKitsune: (kisses the floor) Oh, you really make me happy! I don't know exactly what to say..well..thanks a lot, kitsune-san! (laughs) Anyway, I hope you like this update...**

**drkrose393: Thanks and I hope you like this chappie!**

**Kaori-Angel: Thanks and just you wait for the evil twist! Mwahahahaha! **


	13. Chapter 12: Stupid

_Disclaimer: I don't own RK…_

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**Chapter 12: Stupid**

Kaoru fluctuated her eyes to Akira from Tomoe to Misao and to Kenshin and his gang. She shut her eyes closed, hoping they would all disappear when she opened them again. But alas, they were all there, Kenshin staring at her, Tomoe and Akira at each other and Misao to the hunky but feckless lifeguard. She rolled her eyes and looked at Akira who was still looking at Tomoe. Annoyed, she cleared her throat to catch his attention.

The man immediately spun his head towards her direction and asked her the matter through the inquisitive look in his dark brown eyes that were strangely foreign all of a sudden. She pouted as her brows entwined. Then she gave him the, 'won't-you-introduce-me-to-her' look.

Akira shook his head in alarm and inched towards her. Grabbing her shoulders, he smiled and said out loud, mindless of the people watching, "Tomoe, this is Kaoru, the cousin I was telling you about. And Kaoru, this is Tomoe, the girl I was telling you about"

Kaoru nodded and instinctively extended her hand to Tomoe. "Nice to meet you"

Tomoe took her hand and shook it, "Pleasure's mine."

Kaoru clicked her tongue. She really was pretty, like what Akira always told her. Maybe she was the girl Akira said he loved. Hmm…if she was, it was certainly waking up her interests. Everything was mysterious about her. Her eyes, the way she smiles, the way she speaks…everything. And there's also something that told her that there might be more to this lady than meets the eye. "My, my, my" Kaoru chimed, "You really are pretty"

Tomoe gave a weak smile. "Thank you. You're very pretty yourself but I have to take Misao to our cottage. Let's talk some other time"

"Thanks again, Kaoru…"

Kaoru averted her eyes to meet the big blue ones of Misao. Then, she chortled. "It was nothing."

Tomoe was about to walk away when Akira called out for her to stop, saying, "Wait! Let me help you with her"

The girl rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Now, this was a giveaway. She was suddenly sure that Tomoe was the girl Akira had in mind. Interesting. Very interesting. Well, for starters, it was the first time she ever harnessed any interest in his cousin's love life because normally, all the girls he liked were boring and predictable. This one, however, had a certain enigma clinging to her every essence, and mysteriously, she felt drawn to it.

Before Kaoru could protest or say anything else, Akira was already gone with the two girls, carelessly leaving her with the totally absent-minded lifeguard who seemed to have forgotten what his job was and of course, Kenshin and his gang whom she didn't expect to be here of all frickin' places. It was just so annoying and disturbing and utterly frustrating! Kaoru scratched her head and groaned, afraid to turn around and see their faces all looking at her like idiots.

Heaving a deep sigh, she pivoted on her heel and indeed, there was Kenshin and his gang, all looking at her like idiots. Not just looking like idiots, they also had surfboards and cigarettes and coffee milkshakes. She raked her braided hair in obvious frustration, not that she was angry or anything but because she wasn't at all ready for any confrontation. Deciding to just pretend they didn't exist, she tried passing through them like they weren't there but unfortunately for her, the group just wouldn't let her go that easily.

"Kaoru, wait" it was clearly the voice of Kenshin, pleading like a five-year-old boy. It was strange but it sort of made her stop and turn around and actually confront the five of them.

"What?" it was almost like a whisper but it seemed like everybody heard her.

"Let's talk somewhere private" Soujirou suggested, giving her another one of his sheepish grins.

She paled. No. They wanted to talk, something she wasn't really ready to engage in right now. She didn't know what to say, how to react, anything. Even her feelings were a mess. She didn't know if she should be angry, evasive, forgiving or casual or pretend like nothing happened between the six of them. "I…" she tried to obstruct her voice from trembling, but even that defied her. "I…I can't…my…dad…I have this thing, you see…and…well, I just…"

"Please"

Ugh! It was so annoying how Kenshin's little sweet 'please' could immediately make her mind change. She huffed. Okay. Maybe it was time to talk, and Soujirou was right. It needed to happen in someplace quiet where they could sort everything out, without having to cope with other unnecessary people who make unnecessary noises.

"Okay, alright?" she held up her hands in surrender, a tinge of annoyance and uneasiness in her voice, "Let's talk. But where?"

"There's a café over there where no one else wants to go to" it was Sano, jerking his thumb behind his shoulder.

Having no interest to know why people don't want to go there, she followed where Sano's thumb was pointing and spotted a little cottage that bore the sign, "Caffeinated drinks". She freed another sigh. No wonder why people don't go there. Well, aside from the boring café name, the cottage looked kind of rickety and totally ancient. Plus, people aren't interested in caffeine that much anymore because of the fat and the insomnia-inducing thing it contains. But anyway, if no else was interested in that place, then it would be a perfect setting for a quiet little conversation.

"Shall we?" Okita smiled at her like she was his long lost sister or something. It was annoying.

"Guys, can we please agree on something?" she asked all of a sudden, this time, her voice sounded a little more casual and friendly. The looks on their faces need not any further verbal questions. "Don't patronize me. I hate it"

Their expressions all went down and Okita, aware that the sudden remark was his fault scratched his head and apologized, "I'm sorry, Kamiya-san."

"That's totally fine. I'm just telling you", Kaoru smiled, "And I also have another thing…"

"Sure, what is it?" Okita asked.

"We won't talk until we get there" she said, her tone imperative and final. Seeing all the five of them nod in agreement, she pursed her lips and started to advance forward, the rest all behind her. She knew she was going to be queasy around the five of them, especially Kenshin but she had to give it all to rest sooner or later.

Indeed, the café contained no more than a couple talking on the farthest table on the west side of the cottage. The counter was empty, no one greeted them when they went in and still no one acknowledged their presence even when they had managed to sit themselves on the second table on the east side. Kaoru sat facing the five of them, distinguished and unprepared. Kenshin sat across her and the rest of the gang occupied the rest of the aluminum chairs.

Ducking her head, Kaoru started toying with her fingers, tapping them occasionally on the table. Sano was whistling a tune while the rest stayed quiet. The atmosphere was now getting very uncomfortable for all of them but it seemed like no one wished to start the conversation. For sure, it wouldn't be Kaoru because she was at a loss for words at the beginning. It also wouldn't be Shougo because he was quiet all along and neither would it be Sano because he knew he would only make matters worse if he did. Soujirou wasn't speaking even if he was the one who suggested they go here, neither did Okita who at first was eager to talk. Even Kenshin wasn't saying a word even if it the desire to open his mouth was conspicuous in his face.

But Kaoru could only take much. She didn't like the pressure the rest of them seemed to be imposing on her side. She wouldn't be the first to talk because she had nothing else to say, except that they were completely wasting her time. She cleared her throat, making the five guys all look towards her.

"So do you guys wanna talk or not because I hav—"

"We're sorry" the redhead said apologetically, cutting her off. "We're truly deeply sorry for everything that we did to you"

Kaoru clicked her tongue and arched a dubious eyebrow. "Really?"

"We'll do anything" pleaded Okita, "just so you could forgive us"

The girl heaved her chest. "Apology accepted. But let me just ask all of you one thing…"

"Anything" it was Soujirou.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you apologizing?"

The boys exchanged glances, wondering wordlessly among themselves what she meant with that question. Did she want them to suffer enumerating all the nasty things they did to her? Or did she simply want a reason why they came up to her so suddenly and waited this long to ask for her forgiveness? But either way, they sure did not want to answer any of the two.

Sano gulped, "What do you mean, why?"

Kenshin whacked his head. It was an idiotic question! They should have just told her smack-dab to her face the reason why they were saying sorry! Instead of throwing back questions and staring at her like sick insane freaks, they should have just told her that they were sorry because…

Come to think of it…why were they sorry?

"_Kenshin, you idiot! For everything of course!"_

"I mean…" Kaoru murmured, cutting off his thoughts. "Why are you apologizing now?"

The emphasis she gave on 'now' was quite a giveaway what this whole thing was all about for her. So, this was all about punctuality. She wanted to know why they waited this long to say sorry and maybe while they're at it, they could also tell her the reason why they did those nasty pranks on her, especially the part where Kenshin dated her for seven days, humiliated her in the prom night and dumped her heartlessly while calling her the 'ugliest girl in the planet'.

"Well…you did leave Japan. If you didn't, we could have apologized sooner" Sano replied unsurely, throwing each of his friends a gaze after spitting a word. Maybe he must have known that he was saying was useless as usual and if ever there was really a use for it, it was the number one instrument for pandemonium.

Shougo, who was surpressing himself all this time, finally set himself free and pinched Sano's leg as hard as he could possible do, squeezing it like he was mashing a very hard potato. Sano squirmed, forcing himself not to react with the pain. Trying to stifle the wincing part, he laid his hands on Shougo's and forced them away from his leg. He looked up at man with an inquisitive look and Shougo, in return gave him the 'shut-your-big-rooster-mouth-up'. Sano freed a breath and returned to gaze at Kaoru, who although was staring at him, didn't seem to notice the little torture he suffered literally under Amakusa's hands.

"Sano" Kaoru said calmly, "this isn't about punctuality, okay? I don't care if you apologized to me a hundred years later."

Kenshin's eyebrows entwined. So, this wasn't about punctuality. So what was it about?

"It's about me, about who I am right now"

This time, it was Kenshin's stomach who gave a reaction. This conversation was going more and more complicated and harder than he ever imagined. Maybe both parties weren't ready yet to engage in this talk.

"How do you mean?" Shougo asked, his voice sparking with interest. The redhead stole a glance at him and realized that it was the first time he saw the man actually getting interested in a conversation. Normally, his voice was always in monotone and he gave no other facial expressions except that of boredom.

The girl gave a weak smile, seeing that finally one of them was starting to understand what she was trying to say. "Let me just ask you something…" she paused to look at them, "If I….if I came here looking the same way I did in high-school…tell me the truth…would you…would you still…still come up to me and tell me you're sorry?"

The five of them blinked, their features all blanked. She knew it.

"I knew it" she muffled, feeling small tears forming in her eyes. She stood up wordlessly, her tears now completely stinging her eyes. She brushed them away harshly, not wanting to show them that she still had a thing for crying. Turning around, she was about to take her first step forward when…

"Of course we would!" Kenshin protested persistently, "If we…" he paused, "If only I wasn't stupid enough—"

"—to what?" Kaoru interrupted, her voice raising, "If only you weren't stupid enough to dance with me in that stupid reunion! If only you weren't stupid enough to bump me with eggs and take me to your house and eat everything I cook! Is that what you're trying to say to me, Himura? That you were stupid for meeting me over and over again?"

"No! Of course not!" he objected, rising from his seat and inching nearer and nearer towards her. When he was close enough, he grabbed her cheeks and wiped her tears with his hands. "No" he breathed softly to her face.

"The past days I had with you were the best moments that ever happened in my life, okay? And they were not stupid." His eyes held hers with a deep feeling of passion and contrite and seriousness. "It was stupid, however, that I dumped you after seeing you for seven days. It was stupid how I embarrassed you in the most magical night everyone's ever seen. And it was specially stupid that I—we—never got to see…how…" his face moved closer, "how enchantingly beautiful you really are"

Kaoru froze, her heart beating fast and slow at the same time. Hypnotized by that velvet voice and mesmerizing lavender eyes, she suddenly found herself going for his arms like a child. Whatever she expected when she walked into him, it was not to find herself crushed into an embrace and swept soaring off into a sweet noting with the feeling of his soft lips touching her forehead. The kiss was brotherly but she appreciated the respect.

Okita cleared his throat, catching both their attention. "Do you mind if we join in? I mean, we all are friends right?"

Kenshin and Kaoru exchanged glanced and gladly opened their arms. Not a second later, they were all engaged in a group hug they never though would ever, ever happen. Especially not with the one girl they all despised the most, who after all, turned out to be the most amazing woman that ever walked their worlds. Even Shougo, who wasn't really famous for involving himself in sentimental gestures like hugs, crushed every one with his steel arms.

The rest of the people in the cottage, however, which exactly was the couple, did not appreciate what the six of them were displaying. One taut bodied girl crushed by five naked men! They weren't totally naked, but still…it was not appropriate for five men barely dressed in their swimming shorts to embrace a young lady barely dressed in her floral blue bikini and pink wrap-around skirt. The scene was just horrendous. So, the couple left, leaving the six of them along to fend for themselves.

The next hour was spent with talks and laughs about their past. The group finally told Kaoru the reason why they pulled those pranks on her but Kaoru pretty much figured it out for herself even before she had left the country. Kaoru also told the group the things she would have done to them if not for the little conversation she had with her father. Piranhas in the swimming pool they usually go for swims every Saturday, salt instead of sugar in their coffees and the unusual stuck-ups they will experience in elevators. But she never told them how she would have managed to pull them off. The girl also told her how she lost weight and how her face cleared up and in return, the boys told her everything that happened to their separate lives for the past three years.

It was suddenly strange how Kaoru felt mysteriously comfortable being around the five of them, like they were best friends or something. The idea annoyed her but experiencing it was another story. She had fun laughing and talking and joking around with these guys…and she could not imagine how they were the same people who injured her three years ago. But the past is the past. Both sides had moved on and everything couldn't have been any less perfect.

But of course, perfect was never a word that could last very long.

The conversation stopped when two other people entered the café. Unexpected it might have been that others could find this place as somewhere worthwhile to go to, it was more unexpected who the two people were: Tomoe and Akira.

Kaoru's eyes bulged as she caught sigh of his cousin with Tomoe's arms clinging on his. She smiled sheepishly, throwing him a mischievous grin. Akira returned the smile, his eyes telling her he was glad she finally made it out with the five of them. Both of them sat down on the table where the couple they saw when they first came in sat.

"Aren't you going to scold your boyfriend for dating another woman?" Kenshin suddenly asked.

She grinned, "He's not my boyfriend"

"What?"

"He's my cousin"

Kenshin nodded, suddenly feeling relief crawling all over his skin. "I understand."

"No, actually—"

But Kaoru was not able to continue what she was going to say for another person came in the café, this time, making things a little more inextricable…

The man was quite tall and was white. He wasn't really strange. What made Kaoru think he was strange was the fact that he had white hair and still wore shades even when he was already inside. Somehow, she didn't like the vibes she was getting from this man, like he was up to no good and will somehow contribute to an undoing…

The man turned his head sideways and finally spotted what he was looking for. Kaoru's head slanted, realizing that he was looking for Tomoe and Akira. Who was this guy?

"Oi, hime-chan! I'm home!" his voice vibrated around the cottage. But what was more interesting was him calling Tomoe 'hime-chan'.

The girl turned to Kenshin and expected to see a flabbergasted reaction on his face. She was damn right. But flabbergasted could be an understatement. It was like the same expression he had when she told him who she really was. Kaoru suddenly found herself alarmed when Kenshin averted his eyes to her, begging her to let him go to the table and introduce himself to this hime-chan.

But why would he need her permission? She sighed. "Go ahead"

Without saying anything except a deep agonizing, "thanks", he stood up from his seat and started advancing towards Tomoe and Akira's table. Kaoru moaned to herself, pinching her legs. _"Kaoru, you idiot!"_

Yep, it was stupid for her to let him go alright.

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**Author's Notes: I'm sorry this update was rather late again. I've had a lot of things on my mind lately and I've been studying for school. Ugh! The pressure of being a senior! Well, anways, I hope you liked this one and that frickin' evil twist. Thanks, guys.** **-**

**babybluesjaded: thanks and I actually missed you, haha...well, anway...I hope you like my update!**

**Insanity's Light: Really? I so love that movie! (laughs) Thanks a lot!**

**seta-girl: It's okay, I don't mind and thank you very much. I hope you like the twist and this update. XoXo!**

**Serphtears: (laughs) No she wan't! Thanks and I hope you like this update…**

**blueangel-maggie: (laughs) Not really. Well, let's just say it was a mixture of brotherly and 'you-know' love…mwahahaah! And yes, Akira LIKES Tomoe, but he LOVES someone else…mwahaha! Anyway, thanks a lot and I hope you like this chappie, too.**

**black-lotusblossom: Yes, Kaoru isn't that kind of person that's why I'm throwing the revenge thing to the rubbish…yep, evil twist…well it wasn't that evil, was it? (laughs) yes, Aoshi and Misao pairing…but not that much…thanks for the review!**

**KawaiiInuyasha14841: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like the story and the part where Kaoru kicked everyone's ass into a pulp! Haha! Oh and about the dedication…sure thing…I just thought that people shouldn't be ashamed of how they look because it's what's inside that matters and yeah, they should probably kick the butts of those people who call them ugly! And more power to you, girl! Show those guys who they're dealing with! (accepts cookies, gives KawaiiInuyasha14841 a hug and a baguette of French bread) **

**Kaori-Angel: (chuckles) Well, now that you've mentioned it…I don't think it's too evil after all. But nonetheless, I still hope you like it! Thanks!**

**Hermione: Thanks a lot and I hope you like the update!**

**Anonymous but very interest...: Well, I think every guy who would see Kaoru would smile…(laughs) Anyway, nope, Misao isn't exactly Tomoe's little sister, let's just say…an adopted little sister…whatever…and that Misao and Aoshi pairing won't get as much spotlight as ken and kao's but yes, I write something about them. And about Tomoe and Kenshin…I hope this chapter answers the question! (evil laughs) Thanks and I hope you like this chappie…**

**Gypsy-chan: (blushes) Thank you very much! I guess you couldn't blame Aoshi for acting like a jerk and not saving Misao considering the hundred cases of faked drowning he's had with girls her age! But yeah, I guess he was still a jerk. And, he was guilty…and Kaoru flying to Germany? Maybe…there's a fifty-fifty thing going on…well anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks again! **

**Sulou: (scratches head) I just hate when I burst the bubbles of readers like you…well, I guess she didn't give them a really hard time, now did she? (laughs nervously) And it's okay you didn't review sooner…thanks and I really hope you like this update.**

**Royal blueKitsune: Thank you very, very much! I hope you liked the interaction between the six of them. And Akira won't exactly confess to Kaoru…well, sort of…anyhoo, thanks again for the review!**

**Icyblossom: Thanks a lot and I hope you like the update!**

**blooded wyngs: (guffaws) You really got me there! Akira a pedophilic? Hardly. But hey, he wouldn't react the way he did if it wasn't Kaoru…but it was Kaoru and considering that he had this 'feelings' for her, seeing her in bikinis would surely prompt a certain reaction, right? And no, the predictable and ordinary part was not a typo. Actually, I think, in my opinion, he's rather predictable and ordinary, not in terms of his spying ninja business but you know, social-wise predictability and ordinariness…(twirls) OMG…what am I saying? But anyway, thanks and I hope you like this one…**

**O.o Kaoru-chan o.O: Thanks a lot and…you just have to find out about Akira's confessions or whatever he's going to say…it's okay…I'm not that good in French either,…(laughs)…thanks and I hope you liked the update!**

**Ohagi-chan: I hope this chapter answers your question! Thanks and I hope you like my update!**

**Antica: Thanks…and I hope you like the k/k interaction in this one…and the twist, too…(chuckles)**

**DeeKaui: (blushes) Really, aww! The flattery! Thank you very much! And I hope this chapter answers your question, too. (chuckles). And I hope I'm not locking you guys in the suspense zone any longer…(laughs evilly) **

**Kristy-chan: (laughs) I'm glad you liked that one! Thanks a lot and I hope you like this update! **


	14. Chapter 13: Hime chan

_Disclaimer: I still don't own RK...(laughs)_

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**Chapter 13: Hime-chan**

As Kenshin advanced towards Tomoe's table, Kaoru pretended to be interested in what Sano was talking about, which exactly was his experiences with America's hottest playerettes. The other boys didn't look at all interested about that either because their eyes were glued on their coffee drinks. She, however, showed her 'interest' with occasional nods and questions such as, "and then?" or remarks like, 'that's amazing'. She suddenly realized, however, that if Sano's big mouth didn't stop emitting senseless and boring stories about himself, she was going to regret, somehow, that she accepted their apologies this soon.

When Sano wasn't looking at her when he talked, she would avert her eyes to Akira and Tomoe's table where Kenshin seemed to be very comfortable talking about something she already knew. He was probably all psyched about having finally found his long lost hime-chan. But how was he sure that she was the 'hime-chan' who saved him? It's not like she was the only girl who gets branded 'hime-chan' by family members. And she didn't even look like the kind of person who would go sailing and saving a young boy from getting electrocuted by a jellyfish! She was the kind of person who would stay calm and still in dreary circumstances...the type who would probably take ten whole minutes thinking before acting...which probably by the time she finished thinking, little Kenshin had already died. It just felt terribly wrong and the more she thought about it, the stronger the push to go over to their table and snatch Akira and Kenshin away.

Kaoru groaned, kneading her temple as Sano laughed to himself. Why was she giving all this hime-chan thing a big fuss anyway? It's not like she cared about the two of them or anything. It's not like she gave a damn if he looked so happy talking to her and she looked happy talking to him...it was just that she didn't like the way that the both of them suddenly looked all so radiant when they laid eyes on each other...like they were reunited childhood friends or something. It was suddenly weird why she felt herself burn up, like her blood was rising higher, higher than it had risen when she found herself crying in his arms. But this time, the feeling wasn't at all pleasant. As a matter of fact, it felt extremely displeasing and bothersome, like the ones she felt when she learned her dad had been dating the ex-wife of his colleague.

_What is this I'm feeling? _

Jealousy perhaps.

_Why would I be jealous? It's not like he's my boyfriend or anything._

Exactly. So why in the world would she be jealous? He's not her boyfriend. She didn't even like the idea of her ever being his girlfriend to begin with! And besides, it would be too awkward for the two of them if they ever, ever enter that stage again. It would surely bring back bad memories that would definitely just hurt them both. So it would just be better if they lay off from each other for the meantime.

She fidgeted in her seat for the hundredth time, her eyebrows meeting each other as the feeling surfaced again. How dare him? It was as if nothing at all happened between the two of them five minutes ago! It was like the whole 'the-moments-i-had-with-you-were-the-best' thing was suddenly thrown away to lethe. But then again, it was partially her fault because she told him to go ahead. _Kaoru no baka! _How could she do that? Well for the most part, much to her disappointment, she found it disgracefully impossible to refuse or ignore the way his purple eyes pleaded her. Damn that Kenshin! Why do they have to meet in here anyway? And why in the world did she surrender that easily? She could have just walked away when she had the chance...

"Kaoru, are you okay?" Shougo's cold voice , deepened with concern snapped her out from her thoughts.

She turned to him and summoned a weak smile. "Yeah..."

From the way Shougo's eyes took on a strange twinkle, she surmised that he mustn't have believed what she told him. Damn! Was she too obvious? Soujirou and Okita and especially Sano didn't seem to mind her reverie. She sighed, jerking her head back to her coffee. Great. Caffeine would surely help. Taking the straw in her hands, she sipped the whole thing out loud, making the rest of the guys turn to her in attention. Usually, she didn't drink coffee this much or this loud...but the heavier her feelings turned to be, the stronger the urge to gobble up everything she saw became. The boys tried to slow her down, all the while wondering why she was suddenly acting this way. If only they, with the exception of Shougo, were sensitive enough to notice how intensely red she her face turned to be...

As Kenshin walked towards the table of his long lost 'hime-chan', a sick wave of uncertainty and panic washed over every inch of his skin. He was paling and he suddenly regretted why he left his table, especially now that things between them and Kaoru had took on a quite wonderful turn. He was an idiot. _A baka! _He swallowed down the tension building up in his throat, putting on his best smile as he approached closer, Enishi, Tomoe and Akira all looking at him in wonder. When he finally reached the table, he gulped once more and inadvertently extended his hand to the lady's.

Summoning all the courage he had left, he put on an obviously nervous smile, "Hi, I'm Kenshin Himura"

A dark eyebrow raised, her brisk somber eyes watching him with strict appraisal. Returning his smile, her pale hands accepted his, shaking them slowly. "Tomoe" then he let them go, "Tomoe Yukishiro"

"And what do you want from her, Mr. Himura?"

Kenshin turned to the one who spoke and feigned a smile, finding it very difficult when actually what he wanted to do was give him the face that could immediately make half of Japan's male population run away in fright. He didn't like the way things protruded from this guy. He looked mean, rude and entirely self-absorbed. Plus, he hated the curt tone his question took. If Kaoru and Tomoe by chance had not been present in that place, he would have directly sent his fist flying to his face. But because they were there and this man was the one who called her 'hime-chan' which probably meant he was someone important to her, he just flushed his ire down his throat. "I just want to introduce myself to her"

The ridiculing laugh the man gave after that was even worse. "Do I look that stupid to believe that you just came here to introduce yourself when you're obviously hitting on her in front of us!" Then he scoffed, "Pretty rude for a good-looking guy"

That was it. "Excuse me?" the anger he was stifling obvious in the way he spoke.

"Enishi!" Tomoe bellowed, slamming her hands against the table, her dark piercing eyes fixed on the guy with indignation. "Could you please not? And what are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in Flushing, hiding away from those mobsters you offended?"

Enishi stopped a while, the eyes behind the shades locking Tomoe's. He snickered,"Nah...I guess I missed you, too much, hime-chan"

Tomoe gritted her teeth, "I thought I told you never to call me that! It makes me look like a three-year old kid and besides, I'm older than you"

A crispy laugh escaped from his mouth and the ashen-haired man pulled out a chair and sat himself, suddenly mindless of Kenshin's presence. The redhead, on the other hand, did exactly the same and afterwards, went straight to his purpose. "Are you always called hime-chan, Yukishiro-san?"

"Please" she said, "call me Tomoe. And yes, that stupid dork has called me hime-chan since I played that stupid role of Snow white in elementary. Why?"

The redhead tilted backwards and shook his head, 'Well…you, see…I've met a girl once in this resort. She's also called hime-chan"

The lady smiled. "I'm not sure if it was me because I certainly don't remember seeing you. But I can tell you that we, me and my family, used to go here every summer until we migrated to New York"

"Until when was that?"

"Hmm..." she said, "I think it was until the summer of '95"

Kenshin's eyes sparkled and he was sure that she was the one he was looking for all. He almost jumped on his feet in excitement. Mindless of Akira and Enishi and oblivious of the newfound friendship she found with Kaoru, he took her hand and stared directly into her eyes. "Then, you're the one. C-can we hang out sometime...maybe tonight?"

Tomoe puffed her chest, her eyes searching his. She didn't normally go on dates with men she barely knew but there was something in the redhead that was persuasive and cogent, something that refused to be rejected. She stole a glimpse of Akira and Enishi and saw that they didn't seem to approving of her going out with with Kenshin. Akira was giving her the 'don't-even-think-about-it' look and Enishi was glowering at the back of the man. She didn't really want to complicate things or offend Akira or her brother in any way...it was just that she couldn't find it in herself to say no. With her eyes back to Kenshin's, she gently nodded with a soft, "Yes"

The redhead's face lit up with a pink blush and he stood up, thrill caught up in his throat. He scratched his head with one hand and excused himself. "Well, that's great! So...is--is seven okay with you?"

"That's fine" she said coolly.

"Well, okay...I...I gotta get back to my friends..." he said, jerking his thumb behind. When she nodded, he turned around and walked towards the seat, four glaring eyes shooting daggers towards his back. He smiled, trying hard to suppress the bursting excitement overwhelming all throughout every inch of him. He shut his eyes as he savored the intensity of the feeling then opened them again, only to find the cold glaring stares of his friends, well, including Kaoru. What he would have loved to see when he came back to the table were a whole pack of 'congratulations' and some few slaps on the back. But what he got was exactly otherwise. All of them were wearing frowns with these horrendous expressions on their faces, like what he just did was the worst thing he ever did. Well, he was lame but bad? Not really.

He sat himself, the guys and Kaoru still not talking. But Kaoru hated silence so feigned him a smile, trying to put on a cheerful face when obviously and actually, she was the one most offended by his impulsive move. It annoyed her and irritated her but somehow, she couldn't get herself to blame him because after all, the guy was looking for his hime-chan all his life and she didn't want to be the one to stop him from getting to know his savior. "I'm glad you finally found her" She wanted the comment to sound jovial but it literally came out to be really melancholic and disappointed.

"Thanks" he said tentatively, his eyes sort of apologizing to hers. "d-do you wanna go out for lunch..."

Shougo cleared his throat.

"I meant the five of us"

Kaoru groaned to herself, disappointed again. Great. A lunch group date. The classic move for friends. Now, she knew that what he said to her earlier didn't mean anything at all except a deep-seated apology. It wasn't anything intricate or romantic. It was simply an apology. What the hell was she thinking? She huffed and gave him a genuine but saddened smile. How could she ever decline? "Sure"

The redhead frowned, noticing the sadness of the gesture. Damn! He was so caught up! What he actually wanted for tonight was to go out with Kaoru so that they could talk about the past days they had. He wanted to tell her about the feelings that had been baffling him for days now, feelings that were wonderfully distracting and weird. He wanted to know everything about her...her dreams, her life, her loathes, everything. He wanted to be with her so bad that the need was suffocating him. But that was all before Tomoe showed up. She was everything he ever hoped for in finding his hime-chan. Mysteriously beautiful, intelligent and really matured. And he would have sworn that if he had only met Tomoe before Kaoru, he then would be insanely obsessed with her! She was his dream girl! And he already had weird feelings tingling around whenever their eyes met or when she spoke...everything about her was graceful and enigmatic and amazing. He wanted to get to know her as much as he wanted to know Kaoru. Not only that, he also realized that his feelings for the two women were as equally intense and overwhelming.

Suddenly, it hit him like a rocket. Would he ever come to a point where it would be necessary for him to make a choice between the two? He sure hoped not. But something in him said it was completely inevitable. He opened his mouth to say something good to Kaoru but even before he could enunciate a letter, Enishi had already pulled a fast move on the girl.

"So, Kaoru, right? Do you wanna go out for dinner?" he said calmly, straightening his shades and running his hand through his white hair.

"No she can't" Kenshin said sharply.

Kaoru scoffed, angered by the way he answered in her behalf. Unbelievable! So he can go out with other girls and she can't? "Excuse me?" she cut him off bitterly, "Why can't I?"

"Kaoru!" he exclaimed, "You actually trust this guy! He's a stranger!"

"Oh?" she cocked one eyebrow up, her eyes flashing up at him indignantly "Why don't you try telling that to yourself?"

"But my case is different!" he stood up, his voice came out louder.

"How is it different?" she rose from her seat and slammed the table.

"She's hime-chan! I told you about her, didn't I?"

"How come you're so sure?"

Silence.

"Sure!" he faced Enishi and gave him her hand, "I'll go out with YOU for dinner, Mr...uh..."

"Oh, I'm sorry" he took her hand.

Kaoru expected a rather forceful handshake but what she got was a gentle hand-kiss. She blushed immediately as he let her hand go.

"Enishi" he said. "Enishi Yukishiro"

Kaoru blinked. So, he's related to Tomoe. He seemed really uptight and gangster-like and self-absorbed and as a point of fact, she didn't wish to go out with men of his type. Especially those who bust out fast moves on women as if they thought they were all that easy to get. He didn't even look that hansome, either...not that it mattered. But what else could she do? She need to get back at the redhead! And she was really pissed off when he decided about the date in her behalf. But that was only half of her which was annoyed...the other half was actually happy. Happy to know that he was jealous...

Her heart took on a sudden leap. He was jealous! What else could that mean...?

Well, a whole lot of things. It could mean that he really didn't trust the guy and he was just concerned for her safety. Or it could mean that he also planned on taking her out that night. Or it could simply mean that he was just jealous because he liked her and didn't like the idea of her going out with another guy. She wouldn't have reacted violently when he said she can't go out if he hadn't went over to that table...she would have just followed his advice and enjoyed the whole day with the rest of the group. Now, it was suddenly a game of jealosy and if he wanted to play...then all she could do was ride on.

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**Author's Notes: Whew! Well, my classes begin tomorrow and well, I guess I won't be updating that regularly anymore...but I'll still try. And I also think that all of you won't be reviewing that much, too, huh? Well, I just wanna say that I enjoyed my summer because I get to meet you guys and write for you and make you happy (well, I hope) Hmm..anyway...I hope you like this update...toodles!**

**StarriiDai: Was that your birthday! OMG! Happy birthday! (hands StarriiDai an Elizabeth cake) And about the last part...he left because he was waiting for that moment all his life. Well, (titters) I hope you catch the drift! Thank you.**

**TinyTERI: Well, if it was about Kenshin leaving the table...read my message to StarriiDai...and if it was about Kaoru's sudden apology acceptance and the unexpected group hug, well...I thought it would be better if the six of them made out sooner because I'm planning to end the story on chapter 20. Thanks.**

**Shadow Storm of Eternal Des...: Thanks and I hope like the update!**

**KawaiiInuyasha14841: Well, I hope this chappie answers the question! And really? You found that part funny? (chuckles) Anyway, thanks for the cookies! (hands KawaiiInuyasha14841 a basket of mangoes) Thanks a lot!**

**blacksheep21: (titters) sorry...but I think the story would be a lot more interesting if I incorporate the classic boy-gets-stuck-between-two-girls thing..but I still hope you like the twist! Anyhoo, thank you very much and I hope you like the update.**

**Mini-MoonStar: (scratches head) do you really think so? well about the apology being too fast..i don't think it was too fast and soon...actually it was late enough...and about it being accepted too easily...yeah I agree..but Kaoru said to herself that she would finally let go of the past and move on. What better way to do that than forgive? Anyway, thanks for the review.**

**black-lotusblossom: (laughs) I just did! I keep thinking about Aoshi and Misao but I can't seem to find someplace to put them in but I think I'll put some light on the two nect chapter. And about the other pairings...you'll just have to find out for yourself! (laughs evilly) thanks!**

**Insanity's Light: Yeah, i know...but I'm glad you understoon about the apology accepted sooner...well, thanks a lot and I hope you like the update!**

**Anonymous but very interest... : Interesting idea! Maybe I could have another twist...I'll think about it right away! And of course, Kenshin will find out eventually that his savior was right by his side all along and no, Enishi is younger than Tomoe. Did I get you confused with him calling her hime with the chan? (laughs) sorry if I did! Anyway, thanks a lot and I hope you like this chapter.**

**DeeKaui: (sniffs) I thought you'd all hate me for making Kaoru accept the apology this soon! Thank you very much and I hope you like the chapter.**

**hermione: thanks a lot! And yeah I am planning for a Kenshin vs. Enishi battle! Haha! Oh and you'll find out real soon who the real hime chan is. Thank you very much for the review and I also hope you like this update.**

**Royal blueKitsune: (laughs nervously) well, I am forming a KKT triangle...but Tomoe's gonna disappear soon enough! (laughs) Thank you very much and btw, your soraxleon fic got me awake all night! **

**Serphtears: Hell yeah! I'm glad you like that twist! Thanks a lot and this update is for you.**

**blooded wyngs: Yeah, I know...I actually had a lot of second thoughts writing that but I ended up writing in anyway! And for no reason at all! I'm just glad you didn't hate me or anything...and I didn't think of Kaoru's pride when I wrote it! Haha! Thanks a lot and I hope you like this chapter! BTW, im addicted to caffeine! I'm glad we have that in common, haha!**

**antica: (jumps around excitedly) really? really? I thought it was too mushy and all but I'm super happy you liked it! Nope, Kenshin isn't a player anymore, he's just a little bit TORN I'd say. Anyhoo, a very HUGE thank you to you!**

**icyblossom : thanks..and yeah..he is in a strange sort of way...**

**Gypsy-chan: I just love it when I see your name on my comp screen! It's like seeing rain for the first time..haha...I'm so lame! (whacks head) Thank you very very much! And I'm glad, super glad that you liked the previous chapter. And yeah, the man is enishi...thanks again and I hope you like this one, too!**

**Reignashii: (laughs) well, i am making the guy a little torn between the two girls...and yeah, i love drama! (laughs evilly) and not to worry, im making tomoe disappear soon enough...**

**O.o Kaoru-chan o.O: (laughs) glad you liked that twist...and don't worry, kenshin won't be with tomoe that long...just for a little drama...thanks a lot...**

**Kaori-Angel: Kaoru? Brokenhearted? not completely...haha...thank you very much for the review and i hope you like this update!**


	15. Chapter 14: Date

_Disclaimer: RK's NOT mine..._

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**Chapter 14: Date**

Kaoru impatiently tapped her hands on the table, making a jumbled rhyme as she blew her bangs away from her eyes and devoured the glass of mango shake. She had been waiting for good twenty-minutes already but still there was no sign of the ashen-haired bloke who she thought moved too fast. She would have endured the waiting part but her thoughts while she waited tortured her to no end. Thoughts of Kenshin and Tomoe flew in and out of her mind, her knees were begging her to leave and resume her thoughts to her room. But her head stopped her. By the tone he used when he said she couldn't go out with Ensihi, she could directly conclude that he was jealous as well and might be thinking the same murderous thoughts she had right now.

Her teeth rattled as her impatience turned to anger. She wasn't really a patient person to begin with anyway. She hated waiting above all. Two seconds passed. And then three. Then a whole minute. Then another minute. And another. She watched the clock hands move clockwise until she started feeling drowsy. Taking up a hand to her mouth, she yawned softly, stretching out to try and keep herself awake for the next minute. Second by second, her eyes dawned to a close and before she realized that she did, she fell asleep.

Another minute later after Kaoru had dosed off her impatience, Enishi slid the shoji of their rendezvous harshly, laughing like a wild boar as he caught sight of Kaoru's sleeping figure. Lifting the bottle of sake that was in his hand for the last three hours to his mouth, he laughed again. This time, more like an insane idiot than any other untamed animal. The people who were inside, for fear of their consciousness, emptied the cottage one by one, mindless of the sleeping Kaoru in the farthest corner of the unnamed cheap restaurant. Enishi would have loved to stop them but when he realized the loads of things he could do to the angel-face sleeping soundly before him, he behaved himself and walked slowly towards the girl. He then turned his head sideways. When he was certain nobody was around, except the waiters who thought they were a couple because they couldn't stop giving him these mischievous grins, he gathered Kaoru to his arms and devoured the last shot of his sake.

Giving the waiters a wink, he hurried outside and released a perverse smile as his dark formidable eyes raked Kaoru's body. He smacked his lips and held her closer. He would enjoy this night unlike any other.

The sun had already set. Kenshin and Tomoe were walking bare-footed along the dry shores of the ocean, talking about themselves and other things. They also talked about Kaoru and Akira and Enishi. They were both comfortable in each other's company but sometimes; Kenshin couldn't help but imagine Kaoru in Tomoe's place. Sure, he had these unexplainable feelings going on around the older lady but the feelings he held for Kaoru were more intensely warm and undeniably a lot stronger. The only odd thing, however, was that whenever Tomoe was around, all those feelings seem to just evaporate to nothing and he couldn't think of anything else except her. All the others just didn't seem to matter anymore. Well, sadly, that included Kaoru.

"So, how come you're sure that I'm your hime-chan?" Tomoe suddenly asked, her voice surprisingly cool. "I don't even remember meeting you!"

Kenshin bit his lip, a tinge of hurt waving across his emotions. "I don't know…it just felt right…I think…" he answered hesitantly.

Tomoe huffed, kicking crystals of sand. "Well, then, okay." She flipped her hair, "How did I save you?"

The redhead stopped walking and slowly pointed towards the orange-colored water. "There" he almost whispered, "Far away in there, you found me swimming across an electric jellyfish"

The lady's eyebrows entwined. It wasn't her thing to save young boys from electric jellyfish. She would have just called Enishi or their uncle to save him. "Did I do it personally?"

Shaking his head, he gave a weak smile. "No"

"No?"

"You were the one who found me but your dad was the on—"

"Wait, what?"

"You were the one who—"

"Not that. The part where you said dad…"

He smiled. "Well your dad rescued me and brought me to your coastal boat where I think you gave my dad your handkerchief"

A really long pause, then a crispy laugh. And then a frown.

"That's impossible"

A red eyebrow lifted. "What's impossible?"

"This whole me-saving-you-from-a-jellyfish thing!"

"No!" he protested, "It's true! Here!"

He hurriedly stuffed his hand into his pocket and released a white embroidered handkerchief with the initials T.Y. That was the last piece of clue hime-chan left him. That's why when he learned that Tomoe was Tomoe Yukishiro, every inch of doubt left his being. What else could T.Y. stand for except her name! The kerchief was after all, hers!

But why the denial? Did she forget him that bad to think that everything he told her about was some kind of a sick crappy joke? And did he look funny to joke about something as sentimental as his life!

The girl took the piece of cloth from his hands and examined it carefully. With the aid of the huge moon they had that night, she was able to see the initials T.Y. on the fabric. She gasped and then smiled, thrusting the hanky back to Kenshin. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she smiled again. Then, she shook her head. "Uh-uh"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I am not who you're looking for"

"But isn't this enough for you! Did—"

"Ssh" she hushed, placing a finger on his lips. "Listen to me, little boy"

The redhead stopped struggling and calmed himself, unnerved by the fact that she just called her 'boy' and 'little'.

"I may have been here that day you drowned. That handkerchief might bear my initials and I may be called hime-chan but I tell you…from the deepest pit in my heart and in my mind…you are deeply mistaken. Those things are all coincidences"

"How come you sound so sure?" his voice was shaking now, as if he wanted to break down from confusion. Those things couldn't possible just be simple coincidences! They were destiny!

"Because" she whispered, locking a strand of hair behind her ear. "My father died when I was a year old"

Kenshin took a few steps backwards, his eyes bulging in surprise. What the heck was she talking about? Her father was alive when he rescued him! Well, unless of course the dude wasn't her father, or she wasn't the hime-chan that saved him!

"But...but you said you went here every summer with your family…"

"Yes!" she exclaimed incredulously, "With Enishi and my foster parents!"

The color from the redhead's face slowly came to a vanish, his mind darkening like the indigo hues painting the sky. He swallowed everything that hung around his throat and he took some few steps backward. Coincidence. It was all a coincidence. "H-how?" his voice was barely audible.

"I don't have any blasted idea!" she replied, "whoever was that hime-chan that saved you, I'm a million percent sure it couldn't have been me"

Kenshin gulped again. This time, confused. If it wasn't her, then who was?

Enishi had no difficulty whatsoever in carrying Kaoru to their cottage, except that he had to really balance himself despite of being intoxicated. He had to avoid Kaoru from falling, or else she'll wake up and his plans for a good night would be dust.

The atmosphere outside was arousing him a little bit more and his teeth rattled in anticipation, the desire overflowing as his thighs started to throb. A perverse maniacal smirk broke across his features and he hoped the little sleeping pill he bribed the waiters to put into her drink worked well. That way, there would be no struggle. No noise.

The only problem he saw was that theirs was situated beside to other cottages and he's have to prowl in such that no one would see he dragged her there…well, in case someone knew her. He also had to thank that overbearing redhead for his perfect timing. He wouldn't have really permitted Tomoe to go out with him but when he saw Kaoru behind Amakusa's broad physique, he realized he had to change his mind. No one could stop him right now.

He smiled again as he kicked the door open and hurriedly and carefully laid Kaoru on the bed. He locked every door in that cottage, every window, every nook and cranny. He shut the living room lights off and turned on the lights on his bedroom. After the trouble, he inched towards Kaoru and took a single second to appraise her beauty. She was beautiful with her sapphire eyes and her raven hair and her smile and her face. He raked his eyes through her body. His thighs pulsated harder as he caught sight of her breasts, her tummy, her thighs, her legs.

Slowly, he stripped her off her clothes, leaving her in her undergarments. He was about to slid the strap of her bra off when suddenly she moaned. Alarmed, he jumped away from her. When he saw her rolling over to the other side peacefully, he kicked off a sigh of relief. He would finish the undressing later. What he had to do right now was undress himself.

A sudden unexplainable jolt shook Kenshin's body and Kaoru suddenly flashed through his mind. Tomoe had seen this too but was not sure what it was. Kenshin was suddenly out in the clouds, his face searching for something she could not quite get. He, then turned to her, his lavender eyes piercing her dark ones. His hands were on her shoulders, shaking them hard.

"Where is your brother?"

"W-what..?"

"He's with Kaoru, right?"

Tomoe hesitated and then nodded. He sounded really worried and agitated. "Why?"

He raked his hand through his dark flaming red hair that seemed orange in the setting of the sun. His lavender eyes for a moment changed to a deep amber and his once gentle voice now took on a husky change. "I don't know…" he bit his lip, "I just…I'm feeling that something might have happened to her…"

"Oh no…" she smiled, "you can trust my brother. He dates and goofs around a lot but he doesn't hurt women"

But still, the feeling was there. It was pushing him, overwhelming him, taking over his whole being. And it was the first time he ever felt this way before. It was like a concoction of anxiety, jealousy, regret and love. It was foolish but strong. Even so Ensihi was Tomoe's brother and she said that he could trust him with Kaoru…there was something in him that urged him to look for her and bring her home.

"Where do you think they went?"

"I don't know...but knowing my brother…"

"what?"

"he probably took her to our cottage"

"what!"

Tomoe waved her hands in alarm, "no, no, no….you got it completely wrong"

One red eyebrow raised.

"Usually, when my brother takes a girl home, they watch a movie and eat dinner. Even I cook the dinner for them…"

Then it was when it hit Tomoe. Of course…Ensihi wouldn't do anything nasty to a girl if she was around. He knew Tomoe never liked seeing him hitting girls in the house, especially if she was present. However, if she wasn't…

"Would you like to go over to the cottage and check them out?"

Kenshin nodded. Then, they both ran.

Kaoru felt outrageously hot and constrained like she was being held prison and somehow can't break free. The things around her were a blur…only profound silent darkness. Her thoughts were merely floating heavenward, and all that she wanted to know was what in the world was happening. For a moment there, she felt all tingly and bare…as if someone was forcefully undressing her. Then, the next, she felt something on top, something like a man's weight. And even if she wasn't sure what it was, she felt something bulgy on her tummy, forcing its way down to her thighs.

She groaned, her brows entwining. Her face was already full of sweat even if she didn't know what was coming to her. She rolled over to the other side and slipped her hands behind her head, assuming the curling position she always used when she slept. As if from nowhere, she heard something grumble and felt hands carefully refashioning her position to the way it was before she moved. Suddenly, those hands traced her legs, her thighs, her navel, then her breasts. She inhaled the familiar scent of alcohol as someone breathed to her face….then her mouth.

Fear overcame her as the hot breath of alcohol descended to her mouth, the hands squeezing her breasts. She struggled even though she didn't whom or what she was up against. Slowly, she felt the hands pulling her bra…touching her…cupping her…and when it suddenly squeezed her…she yelled, her eyes jolting open like a lightning.

She was yet about to scream when his filthy hands covered her mouth. Then, he laughed. Kaoru's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, realizing what would happen if no one would come to help her. And there was only one person her mind shouted.

"Kenshin!"

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**Author's Notes: Yeah, yeah, I know…It has been a really long time since I updated. I'm really sorry and I'd be more that glad if you could all just punch me in the face! Kidding aside, my school work really ate all my time for writing. Plus, I found it really hard to get those needed inspiration…because my love life's going for the hillside. (laughs) Well, anyhow…I hope you all like this update…even though it's kind of short…and I wanna dedicate this chapter to my friend whose living in our house…michelle!**

**PS: I was supposed to update this two days ago but there was this logged error or something...**

**Ancient Wise Dragon: Well, in that case…welcome! (gives Ancient Wise Dragon a big hug). And thank you very much for the compliment…and it's great that you're in shape now! Kudos to you, too!**

**blueangel-maggie: Yep, the jealousy game it is indeed! (chuckles) Anyway, thanks and hope you like the update…even if it's kind of short…**

**Insanity's Light: Oh…don't worry…I hate enishi too..but I don't hate Tomoe that much…and I'm making them disappear next chappie! Ha! Thanks!**

**Rainer's Cherub: Yo! Watsup cuz? It's okay…I know you're pretty busy yourself. And yeah, if I have time…I'll read your broken smiles and memories..btw, I think I like the title! Thanks a lot and I hope you like this one, too…**

**Kristy-chan: thanks..and I know…Kenshin was a jerk for leaving Kaoru behind for Tomoe but don't worry…I resolved that in this chappie…hope you liked it…**

**abubi-chan: (laughs) my, my, my…you are one perceptive reader are you? (laughs again) well…you'll just have to see in the next chappie…thanks a lot!**

**Gillian: Thanks! And yeah, sure I will….**

**KawaiiInuyasha14841: (jaw hangs) A roomful? (faints) Why, you'll make me the fattest girl on earth! (laughs) Thank you very much…(gives KawaiiInuyasha14841 a big bunny hug) Haha…I have nothin' else to offer!**

**Serphtears: Haha…thanks…**

**Mishy: Mishy! What the…haha!**

**Anonymus T: They are? I'm sorry…but I should tell you that I'm not really the biggest fan of Enishi and Kaoru…but I think there's still a chemistry…u know with what Enishi's angst and Kaoru gentleness…thanks btw and I hope you like this chapter…**

**blooded wyngs: (laughs) Yeah, I know…but I think she can't help being judgemental after what Kenshin had done to her…and Akira? Well, Akira will show up very soon…I think…haha! Thanks!**

**Hermione: (laughs) Don't worry…not a single cent would be taken away from you…(winks)**

**StarriiDai: (laughs evilly) I'll take that one as one of the best compliments I've had…thank you very much!**

**blacksheep21: Really? Thanks! And you're welcome…I like it when I have a sort of interaction with my readers…because it's where I get all my inspiration!**

**O.o Kaoru-chan o.O: Hmmm….I'm glad you understood why I wrote something as horrible as that but you know…for the sake of the drama and the suspense! Oh and I would love to hear what you have to suggest about the story…because as you know…I still have to think how it's gonna end…thanks!**

**Reignashii: Hey! You are? Congratulations! I'm graduating this year, too! And I'm sorry if I'm adding to your stress…I'll try lessen down the drama…but you know, it's where I pour all my angst about school pressure…haha! Thanks a lot and I hope you like this chapter!**

**seta-girl: Akira and Tomoe? Definitely! (winks) Thank you very much and I hope you like this update!**

**black-lotusblossom: Thank you very, very much for that review! Oh and I love Love Hina…the story's stylistically pure. And you're definitely right…Kenshin should love Kaoru regardless of whether she was the one who saved him or not…and yeah, I'll try really, really hard to update…**

**sulou: Thank you very much and yeah, I really hope school work won't get into my writing time. But I doubt it won't because basically…all I'm doing for schoolwork is write! You know the essays and stuff…**

**Gypsy-chan: Thank you very much! And Tomoe might have something for Akira…but she's not sure yet. And I'm not sure "rescue" would be appropriate for describing the move Enishi pulled on Kaoru! Haha! Well…now that he tried to rape her and all…Anyways, I really hope you like this chappie even if it's kinda short…**

**Anonymous but very interest...: Yeah, I know…but those triangles won't last very soon. Why did Enishi go out with Kaoru? Hmm…I hope this chapter answered your question! Thanks, btw!**

**Royal blueKitsune: Not that it was long…you know it got me thinking about Sora and Leon all night and I was blushing and giggling like crazy! (laughs) Not to worry, Tomoe is going to disappear soon enough! Thank you very much and I hope you like the update.**

**Antica: Kenshin no BAKA indeed! You are so right…you can't just fall in love in the spur-of-the-moment just because a girl is called hime-chan! And nope, I will never make Kenshin forget Kaoru…thanks…**

**Kaori-Angel: Thanks…I think it was very sweet. I hope you like this chapter!**

**DeeKaui: (laughs) Well, I'm glad everyone's pissed off at Kenshin! It's a compliment on my part! Thanks…I'll try and update very soon so you won't be left hanging for too long…thanks for the review again! Toodles!**


	16. Chapter 15: Clueless

_Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine…_

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Chapter 15: Clueless

Kenshin could not fully understand what his heart was doing at that very moment. One minute it was skipping two beats and the next it was making the world stop with speed. He also could not fathom why he was thinking that Kaoru might be desperately in need of his help. He looked at Tomoe and could see that her dark eyes sparkled with sick worry and could see her skin color fade.

Needless to say, they were both clueless as to why they were running like stupid freaks. The only thing they were certain about was that the feeling they both had towards Enishi taking Kaoru home alone was far from pleasant. For Kenshin, the feeling was strangely new. Worrying about a girl like the way he was worrying about Kaoru was the last thing he would imagined feeling about her considering their history.

"Hey, Tomoe…what do you think your brother could be doing to Kaoru?"

Tomoe personally hated men who ask in such curtly tones but considering the instance she knew he was in, she brushed her pride aside and answered him as truthfully as she possibly could. "Well, normally he'd eat with her…and watch movies…believe me…I don't think you're ready to hear the rest"

"What!" he exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me all these when he asked her out! I could have done something to prevent this!"

"I never saw my brother as that kind of person! Especially not with a sweet girl such as Kaoru! And besides, I don't think he'll do anything nasty…"

But deep inside, she knew it was an enormous lie. She was torn apart inside. She didn't know what to believe. A part of said Enishi would never do anything close to what she was thinking at that moment. But a much bigger part of her had to contradict. They were never really best-friends close. In fact, they were never close at all and would fight most of the time. She knew his brother grew like a delinquent and had some few nasty histories with his girlfriends and their parents. But of course, she didn't tell Kenshin that. And she did think he would do anything like that to any girl when she was around.

Well, guess she was wrong after all. She just hoped they weren't too late.

Kaoru held her breath as her tears flowed down. Normally, she would have just kicked this guy off. But at the moment, her strength trickled away with her tears. She felt helpless and could not think of anything else except fear. Her eyes congealed open, piercing with fear straight into her attacker's dark orbs, imploring him to let her go.

But Enishi was only too maniacal to listen and he was ready to take her purity away any minute. He thought Kaoru was too stupid to believe he'd go out with her on a date without doing anything to her. Any guy would be idiotic; he would be idiotic to just let her go without getting a piece of her. And besides, the timing was perfect. Tomoe wasn't just there to tell him off and that intrusive pestering redhead obviously was too ecstatic to being with her to bother thinking about someone else.

It's time. Kaoru struggled to break free and shout but all she could come up were wimpy wallops that just got caught in Enishi's hand and stifled screams that only fell on Enishi's ears. She was helpless. She couldn't do anything. And no one was there to help her…

Kaoru's eyes flooded with tears, her two petrified oceans overflowing with regret and fear. She thought about what would happen if Enishi does succeed in performing what he intended to do. She thought about what her dad or Akira would think of her after this. She thought about Kenshin and how he would be probably disgusted if he knew. She thought about the shame and the embarrassment she would have to live through. She about her life and its inevitable ruin. There was no escape.

Enishi's laugh mutilated her thoughts and filled the room with a disgusting atmosphere that she only experienced in her worst nightmares. She can dream this was just one of them and when she opened her eyes, he would be gone. But the laugh remained heinous. This was real hell. But she would not let it happen. Gathering all the strength she could summon of to her legs, she kicked Enishi's stomach hard, sending him flying down to her side.

Quickly, she began to get up but Enishi already beat her to it.

"Bitch!" he snarled, his hand flying to her face. Kaoru's head twitched and her tied hair spilled roughly down her back. She sobbed harder as Enishi's hand cupped her jaw. "Playing hard to get, huh, Ms.Smarty-pants?"

The last thing Kaoru knew was Enishi's fist making circles on her bare stomach, almost making her gag all of the insides she had left. The blood she spat out colored the sheets with sinister red but what was more ominous was the sardonic laugh he freed after, as if he just witnessed the funniest show on Earth.

The punch directly sent Kaoru to unconsciousness, giving Enishi easy access to every inch of her.

Tomoe stumbled down few meters away from their cottage door and fumbled on her purse for the key. Kenshin snatched his white handkerchief from her wallet and wiped the beading sweats on his knotted forehead. His heart was almost coming out of his chest and he was getting closer and closer to the edge of his sanity. Every second, the sick feeling was getting heavier and had Tomoe not jumped out of finding the key, he would have fainted the very next second.

The door was finally opened and complete darkness greeted them, augmented by the piercing silence hovering all over the cottage. There was no sign of any other entry. The floors were clean when it should have been dirty with pealed nuts Enishi used to eat with the girls he took home, the couches were bare, when there should have been one or two wasted popcorns sunk between the cushions. The kitchen was clean, when it should have been messed up with spilled beverages and skins of fruits. This was the exact opposite of what should have been when Enishi had a night-out with a girl.

Kenshin's stomach rumbled, the feeling eating him up little by little. Wasn't the order in the cottage enough to prove that Kaoru was safe? But still, Enishi could have taken her to another place. Somewhere obscured enough such that no interruptions could be made.

"Enishi might have taken her to someplace else" he stuttered, his face disappearing in the dark.

"I might have taken who where?" a gruff voice from behind countered.

Both of them turned around and stopped breathing for a moment, seeing Enishi all dressed-up, obvious lethargy and frustration painting his smug features. He was scratching his gray hair, his tongue licking saliva on the corner of his lips. "What?" he groaned.

"Where is Kaoru?" the redhead demanded furiously, albeit hesitant.

A snicker, then a little laugh, as if to mock him. The whitehead arched one eyebrow and stretched one arm such that it leaned on the door frame. Not dismissing the sarcastic smile he was wearing, he yawned. "She was boring. I took her home hours ago"

Although it sounded convincing, Kenshin could not understand how the feeling had not disappeared yet. In fact, it grew even despicably stronger that he felt he might vomit all his insides any given minute. His purple eyes dug into Enishi's dark ones, as if trying to yank off the cover of something horrifying. He felt it was a lie. And the moment his eyes got in contact with his, he became suddenly sure.

Kaoru was inside the house. Something told him she was….

"Cut the bullshit, Yukishiro. Where is Kaoru?" he growled, his teeth rattling.

Taken back, the man inched backward, only to have his perverse smile grow even wider. "I already told you, I took her—"

"Bullshit!" he snarled, now nearing him. Gathering his force on his hands, he grabbed Enishi's neck and was about to strangle him when Tomoe got in the way. Her eyes blazed with tears and she shook her head. Instantly, he put Enishi down and concentrated his anger on the wall, inflicting himself a little risk of breaking all his left metacarpals. The impact sounded extremely painful but he did not even wince, nor squeaked. It was as if he just punched a big wall of bed sheets.

"Kenshin…" Tomoe's voice was hesitant and soft. "I'll go with you to Kamiya-san's place…."

Kenshin stopped for a while, as if registering her offer. But it wasn't going to save Enishi's ass. His eyes pierced Tomoe's and then he looked back at Enishi. "I wanna search the house" his voice demanding.

"Search everywhere you want!" the whitehead snickered, "You ain't gonna find her here!"

"I better not!" he roared, "cause if I do…Kami-sama forgive me…I swear to burry you so far down deep…you will feel the earth incinerating your ass. Do you get that?"

But all he got was a cold shrug of a shoulder.

He turned his head sideways, his eyes exploring every given detail of the cottage. There was nothing suspicious. The sofa wasn't, in any way, rumpled. There was no smell of liquor or food, expect that of the familiar silence. There was nothing there. And yet something told him there was more to Enishi than meets the eye. If Kaoru really was there and he needed to tear the cottage to pieces to find her, then he most certainly will.

He took a few steps forward, towards the door Enishi was leaning on. The whitehead knew what he implied and removed his arm from the frame to let Kenshin in. He switched the lights on. The bed sheets were puckered, but there was no sign of Kaoru. There was however, something familiar that he came to beheld inside that room. Something….the smell…the fragrance that hung lowly in the air…jasmine…

"You're hiding her somewhere. I can feel it" Kenshin insisted.

"And right now I can feel you getting on my nerves…I told you I took her home!" was his indignantly ardent reply.

"Kaoru!" the redhead shouted, "Kaoru are you here?"

No answer.

"I told you she's not—"

Then, a stifled moan. Kenshin was sure he heard it. And it came under the bed.

Tomoe twirled her head to face his brother and found a most startled expression on his face. And slowly…it hit her. He did hid Kaoru in the cottage. Almost unconsciously, she brought her hands to her mouth, a big giant lump building at the back of her throat. Her tears threatened to fall as her eyes widened in shock. There was no way, no possible way her brother could have done what she thought he did. But the bare fact was blaring right in front of her: there was only little she knew about her brother.

If there was any word appropriate to describe how Kenshin felt the moment he saw Kaoru under the bed dressed only in her underwear, it wouldn't be anger, fury, disgust or hatred. What he had was far, far worse. But what was strange was there was a hint of relief, something mysteriously close to happiness. And even though he would most likely kill Enishi after he took Kaoru out of there, he was glad he didn't succeed in doing what he could have done had it not for his own intervention.

Kaoru was unconscious, or she seemed like she was. For a moment there, Kenshin thought she knew what was happening and that the reason for her moan was she heard him calling her name. Good thing her moan was loud enough because Enishi tied a white cloth around her mouth.

His cold hands reached for hers and he pulled her up, laying her on the bed when he was done. His back was against Enishi. And when he turned to face him, only Kami-sama knows how injurious his stare alone had been. It was fiery enough to break down the wall that stood behind him. His cold hands heated up into a fist, extremely forestalling to break the face of the man he stood across to.

Enishi swallowed hard, as if it was the last thing he would do while he breathed. He was trembling, "L-let me explain…."

But the murderous side he unleashed inside Kenshin wouldn't accept anything for an explanation. There was no excuse that could be made for the wrong he had done to Kaoru. It was unforgivable. He would make sure he paid it good. His lavender eyes glowed into disquieting amber, like that of a famous hitokiri Enishi loved to read about in suspense Japanese mangas. But he knew too well, this was way, way beyond comics. This was real. The pain, like that of the people whom the Hitokiri slaughtered suffered, would soon be his. And he was afraid.

A step forward. A heavy step backward. A hellish scream and an accelerating fist. And the next moment, someone bleeding on the floor. One blow was enough to cause a minor hemorrhage on his head. Kenshin kneeled down and grabbed him by the neck, while Tomoe stood at the door dumfounded, unable to force any muscular motion.

"Do that again and the next place you'll find yourself is hell! Consider yourself lucky I don't kill in front of women." He swore, then stood up. He turned his back and advanced towards Kaoru. He removed his coat and wrapped her with it. Effortlessly, he scooped her in his arms and started heading for the exit, passing through Tomoe like she didn't exist.

"Oh and one more thing" he added before finally disappearing through the door, "If I see you again tomorrow, I will continue breaking down your limbs. So I advice you leave immediately"

And that was the last that was seen of Enishi and Tomoe Yukishiro.

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**Author's Notes: OMG! It felt like I haven't updated in years! I'm really sorry, you guys, for not updating as regularly as I promised I would. Well, I am graduating and I got caught up with all my schoolwork. It's really crazy. You know, the essays, the research papers, all those paper stuff...it's like hell 70 years earlier. (laughs) But anyway, here it is. Hope y'all like it. I apologize if there are still misspelled words and some grammar corrections…not really fond of proofreading my own work. **

**AnAngelUnableToLove: Hell yeah, girl! Most pretty girls, (esp. blondes) are referred to as stupid or dumb. But I don't believe in that discrimination…the mental capacity of a person has nothing whatsoever to do with the way she looks or her hair color! So, go girls! Go blondes! And you rock! Thanks!**

**Ellavv31: Thanks…and sorry for the long update…n**

**liking the story: Alright, alright…(chuckles) wish granted! Hope you liked it! Thanks!**

**NiChee: Thanks for the review…yeah, I know…he was totally stupid but not to worry. I won't let Kaoru get raped by some stupid bastard like Enishi. (laughs)**

**Kaleena DragonMaster: Ah, yeah, suspense! Thanks!**

**Sango Yukijorou: Glad you liked it! Hope you liked this one, too. Thanks.**

**Insanity's Light: And you ARE right! (laughs) I just love putting Enishi on the maniac-antagonist chair…(chuckles)…his white hair adds to the pervert-rapist effect! Thank you very much for your review.**

**Rainer's Cherub: OMG cuz! Of course I won't! What kind of a pervert do you think I am? (laughs) Thanks anyway…**

**Kaori-Angel: (rolls to the floor) I am with you on that notion, sister! Men like Enishi should get their ass kicked for good! Oh you speak French? Me, too! But only a little! Merci!  
**

**blacksheep21: Yey! Finally, someone who noticed that part! Lol…I'm glad you hated Enishi when you read it 'cause I hated him when I wrote him! (laughs) High-five!**

**Sapphireracoongal: (chuckles) love the way how you referred Kenshin as idiotic…thanks! Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Kristy-chan: Thank you very much! Hope you like this, too!**

**Serphtears: (rolls up magazine and hits herself) Yeah, I'm a bad, bad author! Hehe…so happy you liked the chapter…**

**blooded wyngs: You do have a point but Kaoru kicking Enishi's butt will only make her relationship with Kenshin worse than it already is. I figured that if Kenshin would save Kaoru, it would bring a lot of conflicts to resolution….btw, I'm sorry for not updating soon. Hope you're not angry…**

**Anonymous but very interest...: (blushes) Ah, you flatter! Thank you very much! And I've very sorry for this VERY delayed update. Hope you are still interested…**

**O.o Kaoru-chan o.O: (laughs) I'm sorry I made him that way…you see, I've always pictured Enishi as an alcoholic pervert if he was in the modern era…but thanks for the review and hope you liked the chapter!**

**Sulou: (trembles and begs for sulou's forgiveness) I'm really sorry for not updating! (grabs sulou's feet) Forgive me! But I want to thank you for your review and I would understand if you're not interested anymore…but I'm still hoping you are!**

**Shadow Storm of Eternal Des...: Yeah, I know…so evil…and I left you hanging for so long…I'm really sorry…and thanks!**

**Antica: yeah, you could use the 'long time-no see' cliché again. (chuckles) I missed you like shit antica (hugs antica) Hope you liked this update.**

**black-lotusblossom: Oh no! Tomoe is just a short diversion! You wouldn't see any piece of her anymore! (laughs) Thanks for the review! **

**seta-girl: (chuckles) I'm sorry if the expression on her face wasn't really detailed…felt like 'dumfounded' could do the job. Thanks!**

**blueangel-maggie: (kneels to the floor) I'm deeply truly sorry for letting you hang on that ending for so long…hope you understand and still review…thanks!**

**Breaker: I hope this chapter answered all your questions! Thanks!**

**DeeKaui: (pulls out a Kleenex) I'm really lucky to have a reviewer like you! (hugs DeeKaui) You're one of my faves…that's why I'm dedicating this chappie to you!**

**Hermione: (laughs) Oh no I'm not taking any money! But you can however, give me some mangoes! (laughs) Joking…thanks very much!**

**KawaiiInuyasha14841: (rolls to the floor) You really do make me laugh! (accepts box of chocolates and gives KawaiiInuyasha14841 a basket of flowers) I'm sorry, I couldn't afford chocolates, I'm broke these days…(laughs)**

**Mihoshi Shinryoku: Oh my God! You must really hate me right now! (clings to Mihoshi Shinryoku's feet) No! Don't punch me! I'm really, a hundred times, sorry for leaving you with such an evil cliffhanger. Hope you liked this chapter.**

**Reignashii: Oh yeah, but I love your reviews! They're so invigorating…thank you very much and hope you liked this update! **

**Royal blueKitsune: (smirks) I do hope this answers your question…(winks)…thank you very much for the review! And I voted for your story in the RK sight! I hope it wins! **

**Ancient Wise Dragon: (hugs Ancient Wise Dragon) Aww…that is the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me as a writer! Thank you very much and welcome to And if you every pose a story, please let me know. I'd be glad to read them….**


	17. Chapter 16: Awkward

_Disclaimer: Hmmn, y'all know what writers say in this bit already._

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**Chapter 16: Awkward**

When Kaoru woke up, she could feel pain all over her body and a head on her left hand. It was probably nearing dawn, oranges were spiraling against the dark, making her feel dizzy. She forced herself to sit up, even when she could feel her back betraying her. She grimaced a little but careful not to make a sound. She didn't want to wake the person who was kind enough to watch her.

The person beside her was warm and she smiled. It was still dark so she couldn't see who it was, although she was half-sure that it was either Akira or her dad. She turned her gaze to the dark in front of her and instantly, the memory of last night came to recollection. Her heart started to feel heavy, and her eyes stung with tears. A sob was threatening to escape from her throat so she covered her mouth, trapping her sting from getting free.

That good-for-nothing perverted son of a bitch! How dare he even dare to touch her?

She felt so helpless that night than she had ever felt before…so vulnerable, so defenseless… And even as she struggled to protect herself, she knew that she could have done nothing. And it wasn't because he was stronger than her, but because she was strangely afraid, and that fear sucked every ounce of strength she had, making her a most weak kill. And all she could do to save herself was call someone, and of all the people that she could hope to save her, it was that lavender-eyed redhead who has done anything but protect her and who was anything but a person who cared for her. Kenshin.

And even so, he came to her rescue. He actually beat the crap out of Enishi and even came close to murdering him. Because of her…he tore all the limbs of some asshole just for her? She found it hard to believe and even now but she couldn't deny that the relief she felt when she heard his voice was unimaginable, and she knew at that moment that she was going to be safe.

All this…all of this…done by the same person who was the reason why she came back, the same reason why she agreed to go with that asshole…the reason why she almost lost herself…and still he was the reason why she was still alive, having this reverie.

Everything about him was ironic. He rescued the girl that he so gladly announced to a large expanse of the world to be the ugliest, freakiest and most undesirable girl on earth. He even made himself clear that we would rather stick pins on his eyeballs than just being in a room with her for a second. And still, even after all those uncouth names, those cruel and unfair declarations; he went through all that trouble to protect that same girl… whom he hated, who disgusted him.

Kaoru was sure that the only reason why he changed his mind about her was because she became beautiful. But that night, when he pulled her out of that bed and scooped her into his arms, she felt something else. Something that she thought of him incapable of feeling: concern. And although for that she felt an immense amount of gratitude, there was still a little part of her that said "rescuing you won't compensate for years of pain". She had forgiven them, yes, but to forget is a different story.

Because every time a person remembers a painful circumstance, whether or not that person had the courage to forgive, the hatred, the anger and the pain will always come back.

But for now, she would forgive and forget. He had shown her anyway that he was sorry for the things that he did to her. For the meantime, playing the role of her knight-and-shining-armor would be enough.

She released all her inhibitions in a big, almost happy sigh and she wiped her tears. She was trembling, not from the cold, but from something else, something that told her things were going to get better from that moment on, that she had nothing else to worry about, that she should just wallow in the simplicity of being in that bed, alive and safe and whole.

Her eyes were getting a little heavier by the moment, and she felt herself drifting to unconsciousness. She did not want to go back to sleep but her body objected. Her whole anatomy was sore and she lay back down, closing her eyes with a smile. She will still witness a morning.

----

"And good morning to you too, princess" it was Kamiya-sama's booming voice, which was a mix of gladness and anxiety. He was putting white roses on a vase, then he sat next to her and stroke her hair, "Had a good sleep, darling?"

Kaoru smiled, "Yes, daddy…" Her voice broke off, giving way for her tears. "I'm so happy to see you" she cried, spreading her arms to him.

Tetsuro was getting teary-eyed himself and hugged his daughter so tight that Kaoru's back almost got squished. "Are you feeling okay?"

She nodded, smiling. Her dad's squidgy chest felt so warm and comfortable.

"You know what princess, I think this Himura guy is not as bad as you say he is." Her father began, standing up and walking to the other side of the bed to fix her dextrose.

"I know daddy" she muttered, "Uhm…where is he?" Her voice came out hesitant, and a little blush crept to her face. "Not that I want to see him, I mean I do, I—

I— I just want to thank him personally for…for…uhm… rescuing me"

Her father released a stifled chortle, noticing the blush. "I sent him to his cabin. He really seemed tired last night from watching you. He didn't want to go so I had to make a speech ab—"

"He watched me last night?" she interrupted, a pinch of incredulity in her voice. Why would he do that? He'd already done enough! He almost murdered a guy who also so happened to be the brother of his _hime-chan_ at her expense and still he bothered to stay awake for one whole night just to watch her, even when he needed rest as much she did, probably even more.

She was _so_ not getting him anymore.

Kamiya-sama nodded and kissed her forehead. "I have to go back to Tokyo and see that this Enishi gets the right punishment for what he attempted to do" He stood up and patted her on the head. "Akira's coming in with breakfast. He almost went nuts last night when he learned that you were nowhere to be found. Console him a bit. He's been blaming himself for the incident and he couldn't take it that he wasn't the one who came to save you"

Kaoru gave her dad a smile, and watched as he disappeared through the door. Come to think of it, why didn't she call for Akira? He was strong enough to save her and more than that, he was her best friend. And instead of calling her best friend's name at a time like last night, she called the name of her best enemy. Her ex-best enemy that is. Good thinking there.

This little pondering was cut short by the door. In came a pale worried-looking Akira, holding a tray of okomiyaki and miso soup. He swaggered nervously across the room and placed the tray on her bedside table. He was uncomfortably silent, and she could see little droplets of sweat forming on his temple. His eyes were darkened with tension, and even from a far, she could sense that he was really, extremely stressed.

Kaoru couldn't help but laugh.

"You look like crap!" she guffawed, slapping his shoulder when he sat on her bed. "You could really use some Preparation H right now.

But Akira was not in a mood for a joke. He looked at her serious as ever, piercing her eyes with his, as if he was looking for something that wasn't there.

"Akira!" Kaoru snapped, holding his shoulders and shaking them back and forth. "It's okay, alright? It's not your fault! The only thing that matters is I'm still alive, making a joke…which, is so mean of you by the way, you didn't laugh at"

Kaoru was not prepared of what happened next. Akira, without warning or notice, violently pulled her into his chest, tighter and he would fracture all her bones. Kaoru squirmed in surprise, not really appreciating his sudden showcase of emotions. Kaoru wriggled harder and pushed Akira away.

For a moment, she suddenly felt like she was being held by Enishi again. And it scared the guts out of her for like, a second.

She put on a nervous smile, massaging her hands. "That hurt a little…"

The bewildered Akira was taken aback and moved a little away from her. She never pushed him away. Ever. There were times he had made her mad or the other way around and they wouldn't speak for an hour or two but pushing him away? Never happened.

"What's wrong?" he asked coarsely, the look in his eyes almost intimidating. "Are you mad because I wasn't there to save you? Because instead of me, it was that bastard who rescued you?"

Now, that made her loose it.

"You have no right to call Kenshin a bastard!" she cried, pointing a finger at him. "For Kami-sama's sake Akira, you're acting like some insane stupid juvenile who can't get over himself! This isn't like you at all."

It wasn't really like Akira. Because knowing him, Kaoru thought he would be all joke-y about this and go hug the living daylights out of Kenshin for saving her ass from getting raped…or worse…killed. Kaoru couldn't believe he was actually displaying this ridiculous panic fit at her. It kind of annoyed her and prompted a little desire to punch him to his senses.

But of course, Kaoru would never do that. She knew why he was acting like this. It was because of her. And she couldn't very well hit Akira for worrying so much about her to the point of him loosing his mind, now could she?

_Absolutely not._

"Then how am I supposed to act, huh?" he bellowed, rising from his chair and turning his back on her "Be happy that you were almost raped and murdered?"

"No!" she yelled, her voice rising in several octaves. "The Akira I know would make me smile, make a silly unlaugh-able joke that I'd laugh at anyway. Would give me that much-needed bear hug without the risk of breaking my spine, would forcefully stuff miso soup in my mouth when I tell him I'm not hungry. The Akira I know wouldn't act ridiculous like he's goddamned possessed like what you're doing right now! Now could you please calm the fuck down and have a goddamn fuckin' seat! God! You're making me curse! I can't believe you!"

Akira turned her way and gazed at her, dumbfounded. Kaoru was never been the one to curse. Sure she was not as fashionably mannered as those country club girls but she was careful and modest in her speech.

He just stood there for what seemed like half an hour, unable to utter a single letter. God, that surely hit him. Stabbed him like a million knives, poked every inch of his muscles, pounded his head like million hammers. Which was good because it finally brought him to his senses. His eyes gave a twinkle, which translated, said "You're right. I'm being a jerk".

Kaoru beamed, catching the sudden flicker in his eyes. Immediately, she got the message and stacked out the right words to say.

"You've been there for me, Akira" she began, meeting his eyes. "You always have. But maybe there was a reason behind Kenshin finding me under that bed and rescuing me from that pervert. Maybe it's like a way that Kami-sama devised for me to realize that I should really forgive this man and that he isn't as bad as I took him all these years to be"

"Mmhmph" he muffled, ducking his head. He started to toy with his fingers. He slowly moved closer, and finally got himself to sit on her bed. Kaoru could see his face morphing from white to red. She smiled. He looked so adorable.

"And I'm sorry I called him son of a—"

"Bastard" Kaoru cut in. "You called him a bastard"

A small crevice appeared between Akira's eyebrows, not appreciating her correction. Well, he did think he was both a bastard and a son-of-a-bitch and also an asshole, a dickhead, a fuckwit and lots of other horrible things. "Er…yeah…" he croaked.

A pause. Akira tilted his head to see Kaoru and found her eyes intently on his. His face crimsoned, despite his effort to keep them from his features. Sensing the awkwardness, Kaoru reached for Akira's shoulders and squeezed them.

"You have already saved me Akira." Kaoru flashed him the smile she only gave to her father and him, himself. It was a rare smile. She only gave it to Akira once, when he told her he would have her back on the whole revenge thing. "The day you became my best friend was the same day you saved me. Maybe not from danger…but from something far worse, loneliness."

Akira drew closer, which was his fair warning of a hug. Kaoru grinned sheepishly "Don't hug me _that_ tight"

Akira went red for the millionth time and smiled. She smiled back. Very soon they were laughing like 9-year old kids over Brutus getting knocked out by Pop-eye after punching the spinach from the can to his mouth. Kaoru spread out her arms for him and he hugged her. This time, gentler. Much, much gentler.

"You know what, you really look funny" Kaoru jested, breaking from the hug and messing up his hair. "You could be a real asshole sometimes, you know that?" Akira scoffed and she playfully pressed his nose. She pressed it harder and it started bleeding.

She panicked right away.

"Oh my god!" she shrieked, showing Akira her blood-covered hand. "I—I—Oh my god! Face up! Hurry, tilt your head up!"

Akira did as she said, but wasn't in a panic. It didn't hurt a bit. He just smiled to himself, harboring a little entertainment in one of Kaoru's panic fits. She looked really cute when she had that worried look on her face. Those eyes deepening with horror, her cheeks coloring in concern…he could just sit there and have his nose bleed forever.

She frantically ran to the bathroom to get a face towel and hurried back to Akira, placing the towel on his nose, which was still bleeding. A lot. Akira had nosebleeds before, but only when he was really, really feeling something overwhelming. The last time he had a nosebleed, it was when he passed for Yale. He was jumping around on his way home, with the acceptance letter on his hand, his nose bleeding rigidly. He didn't even reach halfway to their house in New York when he passed out. Some black Americans found him and brought him to the police station instead of the hospital. Kaoru laughed every time she remembered that he wasn't even aware he was having a little nose hemorrhage.

Kaoru frowned, catching him smile. "What are you smiling for?"

He made a small but hearty laugh, "It doesn't hurt, Kaoru! But you're acting as if I'm going to die anytime soon!"

"You are if you won't stop talking!" she scolded, pressing the towel a little harder. Akira's nose stopped bleeding after a few seconds.

Later they finally got to a decent conversation, where Akira just listened without judgment and Kaoru talking without restraint.

She told him everything. About why she agreed to go with that Enishi, about her confusion when she was being held captive and the strangest feeling she felt when she heard Kenshin come in. And every time she would mention Kenshin, Akira's brows would always tangle; sometimes he'd roll his eyes when she wasn't looking. So much for listening without judgment.

After talking for almost half an hour, Akira continued to feed her. Kaoru was feeling dizzy again and told Akira that she would probably fall asleep in a few minutes. Her best friend prepared her bed and watched her until she closed her eyes. Then, he left.

When Kaoru opened her eyes again, it was afternoon. She sat up and turned her head to the window. It was nearing sunset. She groaned. _She slept that long?_ Now, she felt she needed to go out. Clutching the blanket, she pushed it aside and stood up. She still felt a little whoozy but she wasn't the i-want-to-stay-in-bed-the-whole-day kind of patient…or uhm…girl.

Getting into her slippers, she walked to the door and opened it slowly. Nobody was home. But their things have been packed. Were they leaving soon? She hasn't even enjoyed the resort yet! That blasted Enishi! She could murder him right now if she knew where he was!

"Daddy!" she called. No answer.

"Akira!" No answer.

There was however, a knock on the door. It couldn't be Akira or her dad. They had keys.

Kaoru blinked. She was suddenly nervous, her heart racing like crazy. _Omigod! Did Enishi get away? Is he going to finally kill me? Please, Kami-sama…_

Eyeing the whole room for a weapon she could use, she spotted her dad's harpoon. He used it when he went fishing for tuna, when he got all bored with the papers.

_This ought to do the job if he tries anything like last night!, _ran her thoughts.

The knock was getting harder. She inched closer, holding the weapon close and tight. Harder. Closer. Closer. She was now an inch away from the knob. Positioning the sharp end to the door, she was about to turn it open when the knock stopped. She blinked. Her heart was racing faster and faster by the moment. Her hand on the knob, she turned it, and having a little crack, she kicked it open and wielded the harpoon at the person at the door.

If that person was not fast enough to jump aside, avoiding the weapon and slapping it away flying to the ground, he could have been stabbed right through the abdomen like a tuna fish. Kaoru jumped in surprise, her eyes widening in horror. The person at the door was definitely not Enishi.

_It was Kenshin._

Kenshin could not, in that moment of seeing a harpoon coming right at him, think what else to do except use his bare hands to wallop the weapon to the ground. One second late and he'll have a large fishing spear thrust in his stomach. He turned to Kaoru, his eyes with question and confusion. _Was she that mad at him? Even after he saved her life? Ah, women. _

Unfortunately, by the time either of them could say a word, Kaoru had already fainted. This time, not because of the drugs, but because of embarrassment…and a tad bit of willpower involved. Kenshin panicked at once, managing to catch her in his arms. He shook her vigorously, calling out her name.

He hurriedly laid her down the sofa and in a frenzy fetched her a glass of water, baffled whether to splash it to her face or wait until she regains consciousness, conscious enough to drink it. Seeing dribbles of sweat on her temples and forehead, he right away eyed the room for something he could use to fan her. Hopefully, to consciousness.

Spotting a piece of cardboard on a box, he snatched it at once and started to fan her in panic. "Kaoru" he whispered at first, "Kaoru" his voice was getting louder, "Kaoru, wake up dammit!!" Now, he yelled.

Maybe it was the amount of increased decibels in his voice that brought Kaoru back to consciousness or the amount of air he was pushing to her face, what with the entire fast and hard fanning he was getting the hang of doing. Either way, she wasn't pleased to be conscious. She didn't want to wake up yet. She wasn't ready to face Kenshin.

"Kenshin", "Kaoru"

Crap. They totally said each others' name at the same time.

"You go first", "You go first"

More crap.

Kenshin twittered nervously, raising his right hand and bringing it at the back of his neck. Then, he started scratching. His face turned even redder. Kaoru could only try to stop herself from smiling. But, it was in vain. He just looked adoringly handsome in those white chest-revealing long-sleeves, scratching his nape like some lovestruck 16-year-old about to ask a girl on a date.

"Uhm…" Kaoru's attempt to break the silence, "Would you like something to drink?"

Kenshin looked up and blushed again when he met her eyes. He shook his head, restraining himself very hard from drooling. Despite Kaoru only dressed in her pajamas, her hair all disheveled and messy, her color a little pale, there was something radiant about her. And it struck him big time, giving him a strong difficulty in taking his eyes off her.

His heart was racing, and yet it felt like slowing down at the same time. He felt a sudden urge to grab her and crush her in his arms. He shook his head a second time, not to say "no" to Kaoru's offer of refreshment but for the purpose of snapping himself out of his little fantasy.

"No, thanks" he finally managed, despite himself.

Kaoru sighed a little, careful not to let Kenshin see it. What will she say to him?

_Thanks, just go tell him how grateful you are that he saved your butt from that asshole_, suggested a voice inside her, _and while you're at it, why don't you tell him as well how you think his white shirt and those little strands of red hair sticking to his nape sexy? _

She blushed right away, forcing her thoughts to evaporate from her mind. She heaved another sigh, inhaled, exhaled and practiced what she was going to say in her mind.

"_I don't know how I should thank you but I owe you one"_

Too stiff.

"_Thank you very much, Kenshin. You saved my life, I don't know where I'd be right now if you hadn't come to rescue me. Ah, my knight in shining armor"_

Too fuggin' mushy.

_Shit. What do I say? What do I say? Calm down, Kaoru. Calm down. A good 'ol simple thank you should do…_

Gathering all the confidence she could muster, she sat upright, ready to bring her cards to the table. Kenshin grabbed her arms for assistance, making her insides somersault. She swallowed.

"Thanks for saving me" she spluttered, in an incredibly coarse, brittle voice. Her stomach lurched.

Jeez, what the fuck was that all about?

Kaoru felt all her blood rushing to her face and wished, harder than any wish she'd ever wished for, to disappear, or faint, or evaporate, something that would save her from the most embarrassing moment she had ever faced. _That was so laaame… _She heard herself and she sounded like a toad. _Oh fuck._

Kenshin, however, seemed to think of it the exact opposite and found her sudden "thank you" rather amusing. He kept himself from smiling though, seeing Kaoru changing color. She looked really embarrassed and he ought to make her feel that it didn't really matter how she said it, he knew, as her eyes sparkled when they met his, that she was grateful.

"You're welcome" he told her in a it's-okay tone. "I'm just glad to see you…"

Kaoru looked up, blushed and squirmed.

"…you're okay, I mean" he immediately added, seeing her fidget. "Sorry, I left you this morning. Your dad wouldn't allow me not to come home. He's such a nice guy, gave me a whole litany of why I shou— "

"Thanks" she cut in, smiling and bravely held his eyes, taking aside the risk she might get lost in them. "I don't know what else to say except I owe you this moment, this very lovely moment of just knowing I'm still alive and whole and…I don't know how to thank you enough…so thank you…"

Kaoru felt at ease. That was the perfect thing. She couldn't believe those words came from her. They're not too stiff, not too mushy either. It was simply perfect. It was just—

"You don't owe me anything" he said gently, "Of all those horr—"

"Sorry about the harpoon" she interrupted immediately, knowing very well what he was going to say. He was going to apologize for high-school and she was anything but ready to talk about it. She didn't want to be trapped between liking him and despising him. And at that moment, she just wanted the feeling of liking him. "I thought you were somebody dangerous"

"Not at all" he shook his head, tension evident in his voice.

_Kenshin, you stupid, stupid ass! How could you possibly bring up high-school in a moment like that? You almost fucked it up! She should have just stabbed you with that harpoon!!_

Kenshin smiled nervously, raking his hair. Pretending to glance at his watch and feigning a look as if he still had something to do, said, "Uhm, it's five already. I think I have to go. Haven't packed my stuff yet"

Kaoru nodded, struggling to hide the disappointment in voice. "Yeah, sure"

_Way to go, Kaoru. Very suave, very cool. NOT!_

"But it was nice seeing you. Feel better, promise?" he beamed, standing up and extending his hand to Kaoru.

_A handshake? That's the best thing you can do? Oh, for Kami-sama sake! _

Kaoru stared at his hand and eagerly shook it. "Sure"

And there it went again. The word awkward. Kenshin released her hand, realizing he was holding it for too long and headed towards the door with a red face and a jumpy stomach. "I should…" he said, his voice breaking a little as he pointed outside, "uh..probably go…"

"Yeah, I'll see you around" Kaoru muttered, raising her hand and making an awkward wave.

"Yeah, you too" he waved back, turned around, slowly walked towards his cottage and thinking a hundred and one ways to torture himself for being a most disgraceful and embarrassing fuck-up in front of Kaoru.

Unbeknownst to him, Kaoru was thinking the exact same thing.

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**Author's Notes: Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyaaaaa!!! Omigod, I missed you guys! It's been what, like a year, since I last updated? Omigod, every time I think about it I feel this urge of getting myself a really humongous hammer and pound myself to pieces. (cries) I'm really, from the deepest nadir of my bleeding sorry heart, very, truly sorry for breaking my promise to update soon. But, crickey, it's college and you're faced all day every day with paperwork. And I tell you, it eats up a bloody expanse of your time. But anyway, enough with the excuses. I hope you like this one. I wrote it long to make up, hope it didn't bore your guts out. Any reviews are welcome. Just not too harsh, my feelings are kind of vulnerable these days. (chuckles) I incorporated some rated language, hope you guys are okay with that… Oh and we're having a two-week break so I'm probably going to update as soon as next week! As always, love you all! X0x0**

**Hard Day's Night: Hmm, you sound beautiful to me. (chuckles) Not winding you up, I mean it. And I happen to find all tall people lovely. Especially those who don't fall under "thin" (wink-wink) Thanks for reading this!**

**Hoshi.no.Aoi: You really think so? Thanks! I hope you liked this one too!**

**Fishee: Are you sure I did a good work with it? Coz I read it last night and was like, "Did I write this" Haha, just found a lot of mistakes…but thanks a lot. You rock.**

**Anon: Omg, you can punch me for updating a year after you reviewed! Thanks for reading!**

**Velvet Footsteps: You did? That's great! Gypsy-chan's place is amazing, ne? It was where I discovered and most of her stories got me through writers' block. Thanks for the compliment!**

**SoreNoMiko: Thanks for agreeing. Let's fight for true beauty, shall we?**

**Serphtears: Thanks! I don't think you'd like to see Ken-san angry. I mean, do you? (laughs)**

**Wild's Daughter: Thanks!**

**Sulou: You know what sulou, when I feel really bad about not being able to update for you guys, I read your review and I feel all better. Thanks a lot (hug) This update is for you.**

**Insanity's Light: Yeah, I know. But you know when people love other people so much, they get blinded by that love and refuse to see or believe that the people they love are incapable of making mistakes or being assholes. Am I making sense? (laughs) Sorry and thanks! Hope you liked the update!**

**Blacksheep21: I'm glad you found the previous chapter satisfying. Hihi. Thank you. I hope you thought the same after reading this latest.**

**Kristy-chan: (rolls around the floor laughing) It's funny you should mention that because I had no bloody idea where to put Kaoru so Kenshin wouldn't find her that easy. I kind of looked around and saw my bed. Thus, the bulb lights! **

**Sketched words: Aww…that is so sweet of you. I've been trying to fight against the stereotypes of beauty and I realized that in my own way, I could try and hopefully make people realize that physical beauty is not as important as having a good heart. Thanks again!**

**Sapphireracoongal: Your review has made me smile and giggle. (giggles) Thank you very much and I wish I don't disappoint you regarding Kaoru's reaction.**

**Mihoshi Shinryoku: Arigatou mihoshi-chan! Sorry I updated really late, but I do hope you still get to read this!**

**Takagouzawa Hikari-san: (jumps around) yay! I got a box of chocolate! (gives hikari-san a bear hug) Thanks a bunch! I'll give you chocolate soon, when and IF I ever get out in this state of being broke. (laughs) Arigatou again, hikari-san!!!**

**Kaori-angel: Merci! Haha, glad you liked it!**

**Anon2: thanks, glad you know how I feel…**

**Kaleena DragonMaster: (laughs) No, I wouldn't dare to have Kenshin kill Tomoe. This will make this fic dark….which hopefully won't turn out that way. Thanks for the review!**

**Ellaw31: Haha, I think Kenshin broke his face enough. Glad you found it nice. Thank you very much.**

**Spirtually-lunar: Thanks! I hope you also find this update great.**

**Azure Aura: You sweetie! Thanks a lot!**

**Anonymous but very interest: Crickey, you're absolutely right! (laughs) I just love that expression, makes the person you tell it to feel like shit. I told myself that once in the mirror and that even made me feel like shit (rolls around laughing) Thanks for the rev! Oh and about the romance thing, you'll read some really waffy stuff next chapter.**

**Reignashii: Bloody hell yeah! School can really meddle into our free-time, ne? But anyway, thanks for taking a time-off to read the previous chapter. Hope you liked this one as well. Omigod, why didn't I think of that? I should have just had Kenshin castrate him! Thanks again!**

**Blooded wyngs: Well, I know it was kind of OOC this fic **_**is**_** OOC. And Kaoru's just been stereotyped to be the good 'ol strong tomboyish ass-kicking girl. And I think it would be great if I actually show the vulnerability that she has…thanks!**

**O.oKaoru-chan.o.O: Omigod, I give you the right to decapitate me and throw my head to your dog (if you have one) or your neighbor's dog for dinner! Sorry for making you wait for so long. I hope you could forgive me and hope you liked this update. Thanks!**

**Antica: (cries) Waaaa, I missed you toooo!!!!!!!!!!!! (hugs antica) And I love you too! (oh and I don't bloody think you're gay) hehe…thanks for your card! I'm sorry took REALLY long to update. College is sooo twisted. Hehe, anyway, thanks very much friend. Seeing your review really makes me smile every time. Kisses! **

**Royal blueKitsune: Thanks! And I just have to tell you that you deserve that award! I've read your work and crickey! You are so much better at this than me! I feel really honored and happy that you read my work. Love you and good luck!**

**DeeKaui: You're welcome! It feels nice when you dedicate your work to someone, makes it all worth it. (laughs) I'm happy you liked that chapter and I'm sorry I left you guys hanging. Hope you also liked this one! Hugs and kisses!**


	18. Chapter 17: Talk

_Disclaimer: Y'all know RK is NOT mine_

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_Author's Notes: Uhm, hi guys. I don't know if you still remember me since it's been like a year since I last updated and for that, I feel sooo horrible. I'm very sorry from the deepest pit of my heart. Actually, I've been trying to write but I never seem to finish so I thought maybe I'd just come around eventually. Maybe I was waiting for the 300__th__ reviewer. heehee So anyway, __**sakuracrystals**__, I'm updating this fic for you. And for everybody else who bothered to read. I'm always in love with you guys. kisses_

_Oh and please pardon the crappy writing. People rust when they rest and I haven't literally written anything for the past couple of months. So gomen ne minna-san. Please bear with me. And please, please review. It'd really help me a lot. Thanks. _

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Chapter 17: Talk

_Embarrassing asshole. Total fuckwit. Stupid, stupid jerk. Moronic redhead_. Those were the names, among several others, that Kenshin called himself while briskly walking from Kaoru's cottage towards his. His hands, still slightly trembling, were kept in his pockets while his hurrying soles unconsciously flicked little grains of sand to his eyes.

"_Fuck_!" he cursed, rubbing his lavender orbs, almost turning them into red. _God, he was having such a good day_. When the throbbing started to disappear, he fluttered his eyes upward, raising his right hand to his forehead as shield. The sun was almost setting, and he thought it was beautiful. He didn't know, however, if it made him happy or sad.

Kaoru's sad, lonely smile. That was what the sun suddenly reminded him. And it was his fault why Kaoru couldn't smile with complete happiness. Because once upon a time, he broke her heart and now he didn't know what to do to heal her sorrow. And just thinking that, it was more torture than loosing a Kendoh match to a girl, more than having every bit of his ego stamped on.

It was eating him up and suddenly, he felt very empty.

"Yo!"

Kenshin turned to Sano's faint beckoning greeting, who was a couple of meters away from the beach restaurant. He knew the roosterhead was going to invite him to indulge into a couple of beer. He shook his head and signaled towards the cottage. He wanted to think, not get drunk.

"Are you sure?"

He barely heard that but he nodded and walked slowly towards their hut. Tonight, he had a lot of things to think about and tomorrow, well, either tomorrow was going to be _it_ or it was going to be the _oops, sorry it's too late_ moment. He preferred the first one of course but somehow, he was afraid of the feeling that, that surreal moment gave him: _tomorrow was going to be too late. _

--

Kaoru bit her lip hard as she leaned firmly to the door. What the hell just happened? She summoned several deep breaths, and realized that, _THAT_ right there, was the most awkward moment she's ever encountered. She released one last sigh when, unexpectedly, sending a hostile rush of blood all over her body, making her heart beat crazy fast, someone knocked at the door.

_Omigod. What do I do? What do I do? I'm not ready for this!_

She hasn't even fully recovered yet and now this! She took time to wonder what he wanted this time. Did he forget something? How could he? He didn't bring anything. Or was there something he forgot to say? Kaoru's heart, she felt, was now beating in her ears and she felt a familiar rush of panic. With a reluctant, shaking hand on the knob, she turned it and prepared herself to say "Sorry, I'm feeling a bit sick so please leave".

"SorryI'mfeelingabitsicksopleaseleave" she blurted without bothering to pronounce the pauses between the words. She didn't want any awkward moments between them again. She was just too nervous she even had her eyes closed.

"I'm sorry; we'll talk next time then"

"Wait!" she exclaimed, surprised it wasn't who she thought it was. It was Shougo Amakusa. Her brows knotted for a second. What did he want to talk about? Well, whatever it was, it somehow sparked her interest. Shougo wasn't much of a talker and he had a tendency to just shut up even when it was crucial that he did the opposite. He could have stopped them from ruining her life, but he didn't. He chose to shut up.

And now he wanted to talk.

Shogou turned instantly. He was waiting near her cottage since Kenshin went in. He didn't know what they talked about or if it helped their current 'crisis' with her. What he did know was that Kenshin didn't look too good when he left. Neither did Kaoru. For a minute, he wondered if this was the right moment to talk. But then again, he'd been waiting all this time for the right moment to talk and for that, he suffered almost three years of guilt from just sitting there watching an innocent girl get bullied by his stupid group of self-proclaimed gods.

"What are you doing here, Amakusa?" she asked.

"I want to talk"

Kaoru scoffed. "What for? You guys already ruined my life. There's no point now"

She swallowed. Bit by bit, she was forgetting what composure was. She was getting angry as the memories started to flood back. Damn him! He was the only one who could have stopped all this and he didn't! He just stood there and watched while the rest of his friends laughed at her embarrassment, just kept quiet when they mocked her in front of everyone to see. And now he wanted to talk?

"Look, Kamiya" he started, reluctance and desperation evident in his voice. "Can we go in please? I just need to tell you something"

Kaoru thought it over and decided a little talk wouldn't do any harm. She opened the door wider and motioned for him to come inside. She glared at his back. She already anticipated to feeling angry and disgusted about what he was going to say. Nothing he could say could do anything to change what they had done now. It was all too late.

"Okay, talk" she said curtly, and immediately added, "Although I'm sure that nothing—"

"Kaoru, listen" he cut her off, snatching her hand and holding it tight in his. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry"

Kaoru scoffed and cursed silently to herself as she felt herself about to cry. "Sorry? Tell me this, Amakusa, can your sorry bring us back to the time where I got severely bullied and all you did was watch? Can your sorry make me forget every name, every insult you called me? Can your sorry stop me from remembering how I looked like a prize idiot in front of the whole school over and over again?"

She snatched her hand away and roughly brushed away her tears. She realized that this was not worth it at all. She already decided to forget. But how can you forget without forgiving? Something suddenly asked her that. And how can you forgive without forgetting? Another one posed. And just in that moment, it occurred to her like a shining bright light: _she had no way out_. Either she do both or she do nothing.

"Please, leave me alone" This was not the time to choose. Kenshin saved her and that act of chivalry clouded her hate. For some time, she was able to _forgive and forget_ but now, that feeling of repulse and disgust for this man, and for Kenshin, for the rest of their friends started to shine brightly like a scorching summer sun again, and it was burning her like stupid.

"Amakusa, just please…go" It came out almost as if she was begging. And she was. The more she looked at him, the angrier she felt. Suddenly, she couldn't imagine that it was just the other day when they were group-hugging and laughing. Suddenly, she couldn't seem to remember what her father told her that night. Suddenly, she was back to feeling vengeful and really angry. But she didn't want to loose to that anger. Not to him, at least not this time.

But Amakusa had already readied himself for this. And he wasn't going to leave unless she listened to what he was going to tell her. Kneeling down, he grabbed Kaoru's hands and gently brought them to his lips. "I'm sorr—" his voice trailed off as it gave way to his tears.

All his pent-up feelings of guilt, leading to this.

Kaoru bit her lower lip as her tears started to fall very fast. She felt her hand wet too and then she heard Amakusa say in between sobs, "You've always been a kind girl, Kamiya. I know that, I've always known that. I knew you were the one who saw my sister through her treatment... And when they—when they planned that about you, I didn't know, and when I did, I wanted to stop them—but—I didn't know how…I—I—guess I'm just a coward…"

Kaoru gritted her teeth, as she knelt down to face him, "How about the prom? You had seven days to stop them! SEVEN DAYS!"

"I know, I know!" he cried as he held her hands tighter. "I tried to stop them! Believe me, I did! When they made that bet, I told them we were going too far but they wouldn't listen! I wanted to tell you! But—but…"

"..they were your friends." She continued. She freed a sharp sigh. "I know, Amakusa. And I know why you're apologizing now. Because of your guilt, right? You want me to forgive you so you could finally sleep at night without feeling guilty about how you ruined me, without remembering how I looked that night when everybody laughed and when you just sat there, doing nothing! Well, I won't indulge you this time. You had your chance and you blew it. So you could just shut up and feel guilty for the rest of your life. Now, leave"

She was about to stand up but Amakusa's grip on her hand came even tighter.

"Kaoru please!" he implored like he never had in his entire life. It wasn't like him to say sorry, let alone beg. But then she was wrong. He could live with guilt, he'd been living with it since he and his sister had been orphaned. He blamed himself for the early death of his mother, who toiled to the end to provide for them. He didn't do anything to help her and one day she got sick and before he knew it, it was just him and Sayo.

"Please, stop this!" he cried, now wrapping his arms around her. Kaoru squirmed but he was much too strong. "I can live with guilt! Okay! I can! My mom died because of me and every day her white sick face still haunts me! I'm not doing this for me, Kaoru! I'm doing this for you!"

Kaoru relaxed. And her anger started to mellow. "What do you mean?"

Amakusa gently withdrew his arms and took her by the shoulders. With eyes still flooding in tears, he pierced hers with pure sincerity that Kaoru had never seen. "I couldn't do anything to save my mom and since the day she died, I've changed. I hated myself and I started not to care about other people. When you got in the club, I didn't care. When they wanted you out, I didn't care. I thought you were pathetic. Sayo was sick and I had no room in my heart to care for another person. I didn't want to loose her."

"But then, when I finally learned that you were behind her treatment, I wanted to thank you and stop them but—but—I couldn't. And it's my fault and I'm sorry. But if you can't forgive me for me, then please, I'm begging you, forgive me, forgive us, for yourself. When you have all that hate inside you, you can never love a person completely. I don't care if I can't sleep at night…but you…you can't either. Kaoru, if doing all this…if hating us…if seeking revenge is doing the right thing, then you should be sleeping good, shouldn't you? You should feel better…do you, Kaoru? Do you feel better?"

Kaoru gulped. She felt like something really huge hit her in the head. She always thought she was doing the right thing and that after she'd had her revenge, she'd feel much better, that she could have better dreams. But had she felt better? Did she have better dreams? No. She grew bitter and no matter how hard she denied it, she still felt broken. She blinked twice, big drops of tears rolling down.

Maybe Amakusa was right.

"No" she whispered, sobbing. "No, I don't!"

Shougo smiled weakly and he pulled her up, wrapping her in his arms. He remembered his sister and he felt a flash of happiness inside. This was the first time he was able to smile without agenda, without disdain, without mock. "It's okay, Kaoru. It's going to be okay" He stroke her hair as he felt her nod.

Hopefully, tomorrow, it's going to be over.

--

Akira turned his car radio off. The crease that had been in his forehead since Tomoe called him hours ago was still there, and was not going away no matter how hard he tried to calm himself.

"Meet me at the airport at 5pm". That was what she said. He took half-an-hour to debate whether he should go or not. If he did, he might see her brother and risk his life going to jail to kill him. If he didn't, he might not see her ever again. He didn't want them to leave in this horrible manner. They were friends were just rekindling that friendship when this happened and it would be a shame let her leave and think they were now enemies.

His car came to a halt and he entered the airport with hesitation. He wished he wouldn't see Enishi. He didn't want to cause a scene. His eyes scanned the whole of the area and he finally spotted a familiar ebony-haired girl sitting inside the waiting are by herself. He sighed.

"So, you're leaving" he said, sitting beside her.

Tomoe looked pale but she smiled when she looked at him. She sighed, "Can't be helped. I want to stay, I love Japan very much but I can't."

Akira took her hand and squeezed it hard, "You don't have to leave, it was your brother's fault, not yours"

"Yes it is" she said weakly. She was always busy with work and both of them always fought. His behavior had been bordering on the delinquent since his high-school but she never realized that he was one. Now, it was too late. "If only I took the time to know what was really going on with his life. If only I could have known him better…"

"Where is he?" Akira bit his tongue, unable to hide the anger in his voice.

"I sent him on an earlier flight" Tomoe replied, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Please, please tell Kaoru I'm really sorry. And I want to apologize to you, too. I never expected for it to come to this."

"Flight 1675 for New York is now boarding…"

"That's me" Tomoe declared, brushing her tear and standing up. Extending her hand to Akira, she said with a sad smile, "So, this is goodbye, Akira"

"Nah" he smiled back, pulling her body to his instead. They stay like that for a while and he kissed her forehead. "You're a great girl. Take care of yourself. And tell your brother to fix his life."

Tomoe smiled, "I will"

Then she kissed him on the lips. "Goodbye"

Akira stood mesmerized as he watched Tomoe disappear through the gate. He smiled to himself, she was his first love. Too bad they never got around each other. His smile morphed into a frown as he reminded himself that tomorrow, he'll be the one to leave and say goodbye.

Hopefully, tomorrow, no matter how wrong it all may seem, he could finally tell Kaoru he loved her.

--

It had been eleven hours since Shougo left and what he said was still reverberating through her brain. _When you have all that hate inside you, you can never love a person completely. _His words rang truth and it stabbed her hard. She had forgiven him but Kenshin, she still needed to hear why he did that to her. Saving her from Enishi did not make them even. She _had_ to hear why he ruined her life _from him. _

She heaved a sigh as she looked at the clock. It was nearing morning. Outside, there was faint music form the beach clubhouse speakers. They were playing something mellow. It was probably meant to help people like her sleep, but so far, nothing worked. They were going back to the city in the morning so she had to take a wink but she just couldn't.

She also remembered Akira and how he strangely avoided her when he got back. He refused to tell her where he went and said that he was going to sleep early. She didn't ponder about it much, he was just probably all stressed out from packing.

From where she was seated, she stood up and went towards the window to look at the sea. The lights from the beach clubhouse with the colors of the almost-morning sky gave it a romantic feel and she loved how that soft music beautifully blended with the rhythmic slap of the waves on the shore. Grabbing a small white blanket, she went outside and headed towards the sea, falling in love with the smell of the wind and feel of something remotely familiar: freedom.

--

Kenshin had been hanging around the clubhouse for the whole of the evening. He was alone and he selfishly savored all the music, confused if it comforted him or made him worse. On his table were two consumed bottles of light beer. He swore he wouldn't drink but he couldn't seem to help himself.

He glanced at the clubhouse watch. It was 4:30 in the morning. He smiled, had it been five hours already? Somehow, it felt like he was just there for an hour. He thought about lots of things, each one he did with equal magnitude. But generally, all he could really think of was Kaoru. Not the beautiful Kaoru. The ugly Kaoru. Now that he thought about her, he realized she wasn't that ugly. Suddenly, he wanted Kaoru to look the way she was when she was still fat.

And when he imagined that, he didn't feel repulsed anymore. Instead, felt himself falling in love even more. Now, he realized it wasn't her beauty that made him feel this way, it was her. It was her being her. What he had to do now was prove it.

From nothing, he averted his gaze into the sea. He loved how it smelled and he closed his eyes, feeling himself floating into somewhere beautiful. When he opened them, they widened and he fell off his chair in fear.

Are his eyes playing tricks on him or is he seeing a ghost walking on the shore?


	19. Chapter 18: Sunrise

_Disclaimer: RK is never and will never be mine._

_--  
_

**Chapter 18: Sunrise**

Kenshin rubbed his eyes once, twice, making sure they weren't playing tricks on him. Was he really seeing a ghost, at this hour? Or was that a real person, walking aimlessly along the beach, black hair flying about, white shawl spiraling her thin body? He blinked, looking closer. His heart raced, his head ached, his body shivered.

It wasn't just a person, it was Kaoru.

--

The almost-morning wind felt nice against her skin. Her breathing slowed down and she stopped for a moment to embrace the sea before her. And she wished she were a part of its infinity, its mystery. Oranges were starting to show up against the velvet sky. The sun was coming.

Kaoru held her white blanket tighter. The things that happened the past few days were overwhelming and strange. First, she made peace. Then, she got jealous and was almost raped. After that, her anger re-surfaced and now, she didn't know what to do or feel. But being here, she felt almost calm…beautiful.

They'd be leaving for the city later. And she'll be back to facing what she came here for. Or did she have to? After that talk with Shougo, she figured out she was still mad but she also discovered she was tired. She had to give it a rest. And maybe…just maybe…she could go back to Germany and live there in peace.

Heaving a grateful sigh, she turned around and bumped her face in a familiar-scented chest. She looked up and failed to hide her surprise seeing Kenshin standing there, his red hair in disarray, his eyes like Christmas morning. Her heart stopped a moment, feeling his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey"

Kaoru stepped back, unable to stop the blood from rushing to her face. She awkwardly tugged some of her hair under her ear and mumbled an almost inaudible, "Hi"

"Wh—what are you doing here?" she croaked, realizing in horror that she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. She managed to stop herself from fidgeting in discomfort as she turned herself the other way so that she was facing the sea instead.

"I was about to ask you the same question" he said, taking steps towards her side. She could hear him breathe the wind and felt him looking at her.

"I couldn't sleep" she replied instantly, desperately fixing her gaze to the sea and making herself look unalarmed.

"Couldn't either"

Silence.

"I better get back"

She turned away but Kenshin grabbed her hand. She almost wanted to smile. His skin felt warm against hers and she despised herself for wanting it to be that way for a little longer. She looked up and into his eyes. And she knew what he wanted.

"Can we talk?"

Her stomach churned. Talk. People had been wanting to talk to her the whole day. And maybe she didn't want to anymore. Maybe she got tired of hearing their apologies and their lame excuses for what they did to her. Maybe she thought there was no point anymore. And maybe….she'd give this man a chance. She debated with herself but she knew she did want to talk. To end this, once and for all. She turned to him and took a deep breath.

"Okay, let's talk…"

Kenshin was silent and suddenly Kaoru regretted that she agreed. It's not like she didn't know what he was going to say anyway. It's not like she hadn't heard them before. He'd probably rant about how sorry he was for what he did to her when they were still in high-school and how he now found her beautiful and…and…

She stopped. She didn't want to think he'd tell her those dreaded three words. No, not from him, she didn't. It would complicate her feelings even more. She wouldn't know what to say. He had saved her life, yes, but did that make them even? Was she now obligated to forget and forgive and just swoon?

"It's beautiful" he suddenly said.

"What?"

"The sky"

She looked up and saw that the sky was indeed beautiful. The sun was almost coming and the pinks danced among the oranges and the purples. It was the meeting of the sea and sky, the dawn, the coming of the new day. This is tomorrow.

"I hated you" he began, his voice deep and his eyes lost. "With all my heart, I despised you. Your voice, your hair, your eyes, everything. If you asked me why, I'd say I don't know. I still don't. Maybe it's the same reason when people say they have no idea when they are asked why they love."

He stopped to bite his lip. And he turned to her.

"Maybe because you were ugly" He swallowed, as if he regretted his use of words. "Maybe because I detested the fact that I liked someone ugly"

Kaoru blinked. Did she hear him right? Did he just say he liked her?

"What?"

"I didn't realize it at first" he continued, emotion coloring the way his words sounded. "But I thought…I think…I was in love with you. That's why I hated you so much"

Her heart raced as his eyes bore into hers like a sword. There was so much truth in the way he said it that she was sure she was going to evaporate anytime soon. She couldn't find it in herself to doubt or to rebuke or to disagree. Here he was, the boy who ruined her life, saying he did it because he loved her. It sounded so crazy but to her, it made sense.

"The bet, the bullying…I did it because I couldn't…God! I couldn't bring myself to face the fact that I was falling in love with someone like you. So I did everything to make myself feel otherwise. I hurt you, I humiliated you…but every time I did, believe me, Kaoru, believe me…every time…I felt disgusted. When you ran away during prom, it took me a great deal of courage and pride not to chase you. When you were crying that afternoon, I was there. I wanted so bad to go to you and tell you I'm sorry and admit that I wasn't at all disgusted in taking you to prom. The seven days I spent with you were the best seven days of my high school. I didn't have to pretend that I hated you. I could go around being nice to you without my friends getting on my case."

His voice suddenly broke and he looked away from her. "I feel so horrible. Right now, I just…I feel like I'm the worst guy that ever lived. I'm a coward. I should have been brave to love you just as you were. I never thought you were ugly. I didn't care. You were kind and gentle and you could compete with us at Kendoh. I just…Kaoru. When you came back and found out you were Cory, I…I just wanted to tell you everything. But I knew you wouldn't be ready. I knew you came back to get back on me…and I want you to know…you did it. You have no idea how much I suffered seeing you again and knowing I can't tell you how I feel."

It was getting warmer by the second. Kaoru's eyes were wet and her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest. Kenshin's eyes were still bravely holding hers, and she felt him move closer. His hand brushed her tears and cupped her cheeks. She trembled at his touch, at his closeness, at his very presence…

"I love you, Kaoru. I always have"

His lips touched her forehead.

"You were my ugly beauty and I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough. I thought I was too good for you but now I know it's the other way around. I don't deserve you and if you still can't forgive me, I understand. All I ask is that you believe me."

The pink was now fading. So was the anger she was just holding. She wanted to say that she didn't believe him, that she thought he was just saying these things so she'd melt right up into his arms. But she didn't feel that way. She loved him, too.

She looked up and saw that his eyes were glinting ambers. And to her fascination, realized that it was the same look he gave her when they danced. She'd always thought it was the look of disgust but now…there was only love and longing in his eyes. And the colors there seemed to reach out to her.

She smiled finally. "I believe you"

The rushing sound of the waves swallowed every other sound and there were just two people breathing. Kenshin's heart ached so much to hold her that the moment she smiled, he just pulled her to him tight, his tears soaking her hair. Kaoru was a bit taken back but she snuggled to his chest, savoring his scent, fighting the weird somersaults her stomach was making. Something in the way he held her made her feel like she was being reborn and she was melting.

Kenshin smelled her hair and he held her tighter. All this years, he'd been waiting for this moment. And here it was finally, the only girl he loved in his arms. He didn't realize his feelings were this great until he finally let them out. He didn't thought it was possible to love someone this strong, to ache for someone this much. He was about to go crazy.

He stroke her hair and inhaled the morning breeze with her scent. "I love you. So much, it drives me insane"

It was almost morning and Kaoru slowly broke away from his hold. She looked up and met his eyes. She took his cold hands and placed them against her cheeks. She closed her eyes for a bit before finally giving him a reply. "I think I do too"

Kenshin smiled, her face still in his hands. He traced her forehead, her brows, her eyes and her nose. He arrived at her lips and she shivered. "Can I kiss you?" She heard him say and she felt blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Anytime you want…" she whispered, feeling his face getting closer now.

He pulled her close again and slowly, gently, his lips felt hers. And with that, with that kiss to end all kisses, the sun rose from its slumber and lit up the velvet sky. It was morning. The beginning.

The kiss might have lasted for a minute, or for three sun-soaked days. Or it might have lasted for one sweet eternity. None of it mattered to them anymore. As they both looked up at the newly risen sun, there was only one thing to look forward to: this thing called loved they never knew they have always shared.

--

_**Author's Notes:** Yeah, I know, I know. You guys can stab me with a harpoon or stick pinballs in my eyes or whatever torture methods you have reserved for me. I'm so sorry I haven't updated soon. And I totally understand if less and less people are reading this. But I still am going to finish this for those who still aren't tired and for my own good. And I'm also sorry if this update is kind of short. But it's waffy and I was in the mood (laughs) Anyways, thanks to:_

_**NuttyNatalie: **Sorry for disappointing the 'soon' part. But here it is anyway. Hope you like it!_

_**Shenyu:** Thanks VERY much to you Shenyu. Loved your reviews. And I totally understand. Helped me a lot in the inspiration department haha. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter._

_**Abstractcomfortskx:** Yeah, it really does stink, doesn't it? But anyway, Kenshin is now enlightened. Hope you're reading this chapter too._

_**sulou:** My dear sulou, I'm sorry I appear and disappear again. School work's crazy. But I'm glad I got to update this. Hope you like it._

_**sapphireracoongal**: Thanks a lot! Your reviews are always great and lovely. I'm glad you liked it and hope you like this one too._

_**Others who read but didn't review, those who put this on their alert and favorite list:** Thanks for reading guys and for always being patient. I'm kind of busy and well you know how insane school can get. But thanks for making me feel that I still have something in writing because lately I've been feeling kind of lame. Effect of stress, I guess. Anyhow, I always love you guys._

_PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Your words, constructive or inspiring, always help me get through whatever writing phase I'm in. And when I'm inspired, I read your reviews and I get sparked up to write. I won't be promising to update soon 'cause I have tons of paper to do but I WILL update. 'till then! _


	20. Chapter 19: Morning

_Disclaimer: RK ain't mine._

--

**Chapter 19: Morning**

Akira looked at Kaoru and knew instantly what she was going to say. It was all evident in the way she blushed, the way she smiled, the way she sighed. Her eyes had a sparkle he never knew was there and just the whole of her had something new written all over it. She was happy like he had never seen her before. Whereas he, he was going to have to tell her soon that he was leaving…and never coming back.

She was now seated across him, her smile, for the first time, showed no hint of pretense or secrets. It was just your ordinary smile, pure, absolute and genuine. Her hair was still in disarray but it made her even more beautiful and her hands were fiddling with the scruffy edges of her blanket.

Kaoru sighed as any girl in love would, "Akira, you will never believe what I'm about to tell you!"

He didn't want to spoil her excitement so he forged an eager look and pretended he didn't already know. "Tell me, what?"

Akira had never heard Kaoru speak about a guy this way before. Neither had he seen her so happy, so in love, that she almost sounded ridiculous. But he listened nonetheless, trying to keep himself from making unnecessary comments or movements. A big part of him wanted to remind her of the hurt but the rest of him knew it was pointless. She was in love with him and she always had been. He loved her, too but he loved seeing her happy more. And even if this talk of Kenshin and them being together was now drilling a bigger hole in his heart, he had decided to be happy for them and hope he will also find the same happiness back in Germany.

"That's wonderful!" he lied, as he inched nearer to kiss her forehead. "I haven't seen you this happy since after that two-month weight loss program"

Kaoru laughed and took his hand. "Thank you, Akira. For everything. You're always there for me when I do nothing but give you trouble. And even now, I still don't know why you're doing all this for me"

Akira paused to look at her briefly and half-decided to confess how he felt right then and there. How can the love he felt for her be inconsiderable? How can it be wrong? He'd read a lot of books about cousins marrying and wasn't it okay, even encouraged, in the past? But then he also knew that even if society _did_ consider his love for her appropriate and not incestuous, he still wouldn't have her. Her heart belonged to someone else. Broken or whole, it only belonged, had always belonged to a particular redhead, who have hurt her in every possible way but still proved irremovable in that space in Kaoru's heart that he had always occupied. It pained him like crazy but he was willing to take all that just to see her smile like this. Damn, he was such a goddamn masochist. He gave a weak smile, making up his mind to tell her tomorrow, the second before he walks through that airport gate, and out of her life.

The beachside restaurant was unusually empty, now that most of the people who went there had already gone home. The music was mellow like always, the atmosphere peaceful and the only people who were there oddly quiet.

Sano started tapping the table with his fingers, unable to endure the silence. The rest of them looked at him with disdain, not one in the mood to put up with Sano and his tactlessness. Shougo rolled his eyes and poured the rest of the contents of his half-empty bottle of beer on the glass. He wanted badly to smoke but felt he shouldn't. Okita was staring at Kenshin incredulously, his head resting on his hands. And Soujirou was like his usual self, composed with that sheepish smile on his lips.

"Well" Sano was the first to break the silence, which had always been the case. "At least she's not mad at us anymore"

Okita sighed, "Why didn't you tell us?"

The redhead was still in deep thought, his fingers tracing the mouth of his beer bottle. Slowly, he looked up to his friends and sighed. "I don't know, you know…"

The four of them exchanged anxious glances, as if Kenshin had gone mad.

"Ugh!" he exclaimed in exasperation, "I didn't know if I could! You guys have always talked about her being ugly and all that and I didn't want to be your laughingstock if you guys found out I liked her. I guess I got chickenshit. It's all selfish, I know and I feel so disgusted at myself. You guys were assholes but I was the worst."

It was Shougo's turn to sigh. "Well, we'll be damned. There I was thinking I was the only one who felt horrible" and then he shot a look at Okita.

"Well don't look at me!" he said defensively, "I was just going with the flow. I didn't even hate her in the first place! Well, yeah I might've thought she was a bit not-so-pretty and prefer that she wasn't in the club, but I didn't really wish to see her out of it either"

"Well, aren't you playing safe?" accused a snorting Sano.

"Look who's talking!" countered Okita, giving him a glare. "You were the one who had the most fun with it!"

Sano opened his mouth to say something to his defense but found himself speechless. He couldn't say he didn't have fun, because well, he kind of did. He wasn't the psychopath nor the sadistic kind of person but he found it amusing for a girl to helplessly fall in love with someone who's secretly just using her for his and his friends' entertainment. Well, now, technically, that wasn't the case since Kenshin didn't really date her for entertainment purposes. Seems the redhead really wanted to go out with her and used the bet to get close to Kaoru and not have them laughing at him about it. Damnity damn, things aren't really what they appear.

"What's done is done" Soujirou's voice seemed to drain the tension. "We just have to apologize to Kaoru properly and everything will be fine. We'll all be friends and everybody's happy"

"It's really amazing how you make it sound so easy" Sano said with sarcasm.

He waited for Soujiro to reply but was disappointed and only got another sheepish smile.

"Let's night fight among ourselves, shall we?" Okita said at once, imitating Soujirou's smile, but his appeared kind of crooked. "The matter at hand is to apologize to Kaoru properly"

"Here's our chance" Shougo tried to say this in a matter-of-factly tone, but failed to hide the alarm in his voice. "Here she comes"

They shot Kenshin daggers. Damn redhead could have prepared them for her coming. At once, they all shot to their feet, trying not too look too alarmed. Sano swallowed hard, Okita started to fidget, Shougo was draining his empty bottle of the last drop and Soujirou surprisingly managed to put back his composed face on. But when he was sure no one looked, he heaved an inaudible sigh.

"Hey guys" Kaoru smiled, her blue eyes wide and welcoming.

"Er…hello, Kaoru" Sano almost whispered, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. Despite the macho image he never ever put down, he turned scarlet and found himself annoyed when he discovered he couldn't quite look at her in the eyes.

Shougo gave a small acknowledging smile, which Kaoru returned, and motioned for her to sit beside Kenshin, which made her directly in front of the four of them. They all sat down and for a moment, allowed silence to ensue. Soujirou, who the rest of them now found annoying, dropped the smile for the first time and looked serious. This was what he always did when he was about to say something he wouldn't normally say.

"We're very sorry for everything, Kamiya-san" he began, disappointing Sano who was expecting for him to smile again. "We were jerks and you don't deserve any single one of the horrible things we did and said to you. We don't know how we ever lived all these years but we just want to let you know that we are willing to do anything just to have your forgiveness"

The lot was impressed. That was probably one of the longest sentences Soujirou ever produced. Usually, his smiles did enough for a conversation. A phrase or a sentence was okay when he was interested but to actually say a paragraph was such a rarity that the rest of them just stared at him, wondering if some alien or some talkative poltergeist had taken over their friend.

Soujirou noticed this and started to titter. Kaoru's smile haven't left her face since she got there. It was reassuring enough but they prefer she said something. And they'd prefer it harsh and painful. That way, it would be easier for them to forgive themselves. But Kaoru just smiled, taking turns with looking at them one by one. She seemed to say okay with her eyes, which had a strange secret twinkle. It torturous for Sano, who never liked silence.

Kenshin wanted to laugh. Kaoru was indeed equipped with the ability to torture guys with her silent mystery. But then he guessed that all girls have that and that was what made them special. He never thought he'd compliment his opposite sex because he always thought men were above them but being in love with one taught him a great deal of things, including humility and sacrifice. He looked at Kaoru instinctively, and felt overwhelmingly thankful that she was there, smiling and loving him back.

The whole cottage was redolent of silence again. Sano was starting to chew on his own tongue, Okita was rummaging his head for something cool to say, Shougo was glaring at his empty beer bottle as if he could refill it if he glowered hard enough and Soujirou was probably the only one who had guts, holding Kaoru's gaze as if their eyes were having a conversation. Kenshin said nothing and was content holding Kaoru's hand under the table.

The redhead thought she'd be frantically nervous about meeting his friends but apparently, she was not. As a point of fact, she was displaying the exact opposite of being nervous. She looked confident, as if waiting for a sign or something to trigger her to finally speak. Her hands weren't shaking either, they were steady and warm in his. He didn't know what she was up to and was now beginning to feel anxious himself. Why wasn't she saying anything?

Kaoru decided to wait a little longer before speaking. She was enjoying their effort of hiding anxiety. She had never seen them like this, well, except during that Kendo competition where she finally revealed herself. It was surprising that she didn't feel anything bitter anymore when she remembered high-school. It now seemed like lifetimes away, as if it never ever happened. And looking at them, now, she just wanted to laugh with them, like they had been friends all this time. She bit her lip and sighed. Everybody looked up.

"Well" she muttered, "I forgive you"

They stared at her as if she had just spoken in a language they didn't understand.

"What?" Shougo asked immediately, looking at her seriously like he wasn't sure if he had heard the right thing.

"What?" Sano followed, after he recovered from subconsciously biting his tongue.

"What?" Okita blinked at her like she was the bloody ghost of Christmas past.

"What?" Soujirou's 'what' sounded happy, like he was about to laugh.

Kaoru chuckled, repeating "I forgive you" to every one of them. She smiled with amusement, the lot of them still stunned. She didn't think they'd be _this_ stunned, but she was glad they were surprised. She knew they were thinking she'd give an outburst and start screaming and enumerating the many horrible things they did. But she was tired of remembering. It felt good stunning them with forgiveness. It almost felt like revenge. Only this time, she felt absolutely wonderful.

"B-b-but how can you forgive us? I-is that it?" said a still slightly-dumfounded Okita, "You're not going to ask us to kneel or kiss your feet or something?"

"Heavens, no" laughed Kaoru, "but I will ask you to take me to dinner when we get back to the city"

Sano sniffed, wiping his tears roughly. To hell with his macho image. He was too moved to hold his emotions back. He had never felt so grateful in his entire life. "Thank you so much. I've never been this touched in my entire life. You're an angel!"

The rest of them laughed.

"Thank you, Kamiya" said Shougo, "I'm glad"

"I'm glad, too" she replied, "and thanks for the things you told me. It made me realize...well, a lot of things"

Amakusa smiled a grateful smile. He was happy his efforts paid off. He knew Kaoru wasn't the type of person to hold hatred for so long and saw that now; they could laugh together without any pretense needed. She was now officially one of them.

"Shall we drink to our friendship then?" Soujirou suggested, holding an empty beer glass up high. It was unlike him to drink or offer drinks but he was always weird when he was happy.

"I'd love to guys but let's postpone the drinking 'till we get to the city. I can't stay; we're leaving in 15 minutes. I just came her to settle things once and for all." she explained, smiling, before standing up, bringing Kenshin up with her, "There's so much more I want to tell you but I feel 'it's okay' is going to be enough. We had a lot of bad times together but I know we can start over and make good ones this time. So, uhm, it's okay and I'll see you. Bye"

The four of them exchanged glances for the nth time and sank back to their seats together. One by one, they all sighed, smiled and finally laughed. They still couldn't believe she let them off _that _easy. And in their heads, they all came to the same realization that Kaoru was still and probably will always be all that Kaoru had ever been: kind and humble.

The sun was shining brightly and the sky was more beautiful than usual. There was just so much peace in here that it diffuses easily into the soul. The waves and the shore were making their usual meeting sounds and the birds lorded the blue sky. The clouds stayed put while the wind gently passed by. This was the place where people were reborn over and over again, where they were saved and forgiven. Here was where people discovered how to love and live, how to look at beauty for what it really is. This was paradise.

Kenshin smelled the wind and held Kaoru's hand tighter, "Do you really have to go?" he almost pleaded. It was hard to let go when they had just made up this morning. He wanted to spend more time with her.

Kaoru blushed and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Yeah"

It was the redhead's turn to turn crimson and then he pulled her into his arms. "Well, okay. I love you and I can't wait to see you"

She chuckled, "I'm still here"

"Yeah, and I miss you already"

"Me too"

It was at that moment when the clubhouse speakers suddenly came to life, playing a soft mellow song in its wake. The music was fixating and Kenshin couldn't help but take the opportunity to ask Kaoru to dance.

"Will you dance with me for a moment?"

Kaoru smiled, blushing. "Sure"

And gently, Kenshin placed one of Kaoru's hands around his neck and the other he took in his. His other hand found her waist. Slowly but surely, they danced, loosing themselves in the music. The twirled around, eyes closed, hearts about to go crazy. For a moment, time stopped and there were just two of them in the whole world.

"I love you, Kaoru" Kenshin whispered on Kaoru's hair, loosing himself in her scent. "I always have, always will"

She smiled, "I love you, too."

For what seemed like several sunlit mornings, they held each other and danced. The music went on and on and the feelings they had for each other were getting stronger by the second. Both of them were on the edge of their sanity. Kenshin gently made Kaoru face him and he traced her face.

"You're so beautiful"

There was so much emotion in his voice that Kaoru couldn't find anything to say. She just stared at his eyes, which were now an ocean of amethysts and lavenders. She reached for his forehead and kissed it. Kenshin grabbed her chin and pulled it to him, his lips finding hers. And they kiss again. But this time, Kenshin was finding it dangerously hard to control his emotions and was now kissing her with fervor. Kaoru felt the same and retaliated with equally passionate kisses. He pulled her tighter as her hands started toying with his red hair.

When he finally realized he was about to loose control, he summoned all the strength he had left and pulled away, careful not to offend Kaoru. "Good God!" he exclaimed, shocked that he also hungered for her _that_ way.

Kaoru laughed, as if she had just read his thoughts. "Maybe we should take it easy next time"

He blushed like a schoolboy, which she immediately found adorable. She found his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, as if telling him she felt the same way…about loosing control. Kenshin brought it to his lips and kissed them, flashing her an embarrassed smile. Kaoru put her arms around him once more and whispered, "You're keeping me too long. Now, I really have to go"

With that, she pulled away, muttered, "Goodbye" and deciding not to kiss him again, turned around and started walking away. When she took about three steps, she turned back at him and started walking backwards, her hair plastered all over her face. Waving goodbye, she turned around for the third time and started running towards their cottage, where Akira had been standing by the whole time.

Akira couldn't help but feel awfully hurt seeing Kaoru and Kenshin in each other's arms, kissing. It was one thing to hear about it, and quite another to actually witness it. He clutched his chest and felt it rapidly, painfully beating. He was still uncertain if he should confess to her or not, now that it all seemed so pointless. Kaoru was getting closer, her smile scintillating like the mid-morning sun.

He tried to smile, suppressing the hurt that was threatening to come out in his voice "Well, is everything fixed already?"

Kaoru turned her head back to the restaurant and smiled, "Yeah, it is"

"Good" he said and meant it, kissing her forehead. "I'm proud of you. Now, shall we get going?"

Kaoru nodded happily and they both walked towards their car where Kaoru's father was already waiting. The engine started and they were on their way home. She sat silent, smiling in the backseat. Today was absolutely perfect. She felt nothing could go wrong. Forgiveness wasn't such a bad thing after all. She felt so free she thought she could fly if she wanted to. And she was just too happy, too high up in the clouds to notice that the car was heading towards a different direction.

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_**Author's Notes: Told you guys, I'd update really soon, didn't I? (laughs). Anyway, I'm kind of inspired so I'll be finishing this story by the end of this week. Hopefully, this inspiration doesn't drain 'till then. My thanks to all those who read, who scanned, who reviewed and who hit the 'hit' button. My love to you guys.**_

_**Reviews are loved…**_

_**Karina Kineshi: Thanks you very much, Karina Kineshi-san! Your review was appreciated and thanks for your advice. It wasn't all my intention to make characters out of my own and just plaster the names of the RK characters on them and I'm really sorry that I made you think that way. I will do very well to remember that the next time I write. Thanks again.**_

_**Kaoru-chan: Hisashiburi ne! Yeah it has. I was concentrating on school but thanks for waiting ne. And I hope you like this chapter. I love you.**_

_**miniwoo: Thanks a lot. And yeah, it's about to be finished. So, see you at the end?**_

_**sapphirreracoongal: Thank you very much sapphire! Hope you like this chapter as well.**_

_**tcl7189: (blushes) Thanks. You're awesome!**_

_**Lady Taiyou: Aww, I want to hug you too! (hugs Lady Taiyou) Anyways, yeah, I agree about the grammar. I'm not really fond of going over my work so any typos are left as typos. I'm sorry. I'll proofread this one for you. Thank you for reading and reviewing. **_


	21. Chapter 20: Secrets

_Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is NOT mine._

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**Chapter 20: Secrets**

It was only after she had spotted the familiar building of the airport that it had dawned on Kaoru that they weren't anywhere near home. She turned sideways to shoot Akira a look of inquiring alarm and panicked when he ignored her. She leaned forward and clutched her dad's shoulder, who was concentrating a hundred percent on looking for a spot to park their car.

"Dad, what's going on?" she asked, "What are we doing here?"

A furrow formed between his dad's brows as he turned to look at her in disbelief. For a moment, his eyes were trying to figure out if Kaoru was faking innocence to give a joke or was totally serious and forgot that Akira was leaving a day ahead of them. He turned away, found a parking space, brought the car to a halt and turned to look at his dazed daughter again.

"Kaoru" he said, "Did you really forget that Akira is leaving today?"

Kaoru gaped, then she heard her father speak again, "Er…Akira did tell you, didn't he?"

Tetsuro heaved a sigh, the answer arriving before Kaoru could speak. He twisted to look at Akira, "Didn't you tell her?"

Akira was silent, which he had been since he got inside the car. He looked stern, at nowhere, his eyes distant and thinking, as if his uncle and Kaoru weren't there. Then, he looked up to Tetsuro, gave a strange crooked smile, got out of the car and started walking inside the building. Kaoru, despite the shock that still had not finished registering itself into her system, followed and grabbed Akira's arm to stop him from making an inch further.

"What is this?" she demanded, feeling tears well up in her eyes, "Is it true what Dad said? You're leaving?"

Akira bit his lip. He wanted to believe that his departure wouldn't be that big of a deal since she and his uncle would follow him tomorrow anyway. But he knew he'd be kidding himself. Kaoru wouldn't leave Japan for anything, now that everything in her life is turning okay. It caused him a lot of hurt, that's why he had to leave.

His silence was enough to answer her question. She swallowed the big lump that was now choking her throat. So, this is why Akira had been acting weird lately. But she didn't understand, why would he keep his leaving Japan a secret, especially from her? And why would he want to leave in the first place? Wasn't he the one who really wanted to be here and rediscover his roots? And why wasn't he answering any of her questions? Shouldn't he at least accommodate her desire to know the reason behind this sudden goodbye?

"I can't stand to be with you anymore" he suddenly said, his back to her, his voice breaking, "It hurts too much"

Kaoru stopped short. "What?"

"Goddammit, Kaoru!" he exclaimed, slammed his bag on the ground and grasped her shoulders so hard, she had to discover that it was the first time he had inflicted her physical discomfort. "Can't you see! I love you! I've always loved you!"

She could now see that he was crying and that he was perfectly serious about what he said. Of course she knew he loved her, he never missed any chance to prove it. What she did not know was that his love for her was like _this_ kind of love. And although she felt not a single tinge of disgust or aversion for his affections, considering they were related, she was compelled to disapprove of it. They couldn't make each other happy _that_ way and she was in love with someone else.

Kaoru looked down at her feet and saw that there were particles of sand stuck to them. "I'm sorry" she heard herself. "I'm sorry, Akira"

His grip on her shoulders loosened and she felt his hand gently lift her face to his. "I'm sorry" he murmured and pulled her in a warm embrace that, to Kaoru, felt very final. "You don't have to be sorry for anything. I loved you knowing this wouldn't work out. When we were kids, no matter how you said you hated him, there's a strange twinkle in your eyes that betrayed every word you say against him. I knew, God, how I wished I was wrong, that you were still in love with him the whole time"

It was now Kaoru's turn to cry. Akira had been her best friend and even though there was no way for her to ever return his feelings, she didn't want him to leave. She clutched to his shirt tighter, "Don't go"

"Kaoru" he almost whispered, "I can't stay…"

She shook her head in his chest but knew there was nothing she could do. She couldn't keep him in Japan, she couldn't be that selfish. Mustering the air she had left, she heaved a big sigh and looked at him in the eyes. He had made his decision. She knew he was hoping she would tell him that she would be following the next day, as was planned, but she can't indulge him that way. There was no way she was leaving Japan, now that everything had turned okay between her and Kenshin.

"Write to me" was all Akira could find to say, realizing that as he was made up to leave, she has decided on staying. He grabbed her face and planted a big kiss on her forehead. And Kaoru, without planning it but deciding there was nothing wrong with it, tiptoed to kiss him on the lips. Akira's heart crumpled, confused if it was hurting or overjoyed. But either way, he smiled and hugged her once more. A moment later, he had disappeared through the crowd.

"So, did you guys say goodbye?" Tetsuro asked when Kaoru had gotten back inside their car.

Kaoru looked at his father sadly and with a weak smile, said, "No goodbyes, Dad."

"So I take it you won't be going with me to Germany tomorrow, then?"

Her stomach winced and all she could do was look at her father.

Tetsuro sighed and pulled her forehead to his lips. "Kaoru, no matter what your decision is, I'm okay with it. If you're happy, I'm happy. And besides, Moritama-san is here to watch you. I'm confident you'll be safe with her"

Kaoru's eyes were again full of tears. "Oh Dad…" she murmured, putting her arms around her old man. "You're the best daddy anyone could ever have. But…but you are going to visit, aren't you?"

The father chuckled, "Of course, I wouldn't last a year without seeing my little girl"

That was all Kaoru needed to hear. Brushing a tear from her eye, she looked up at the sky from her window and pictured Akira once more. She would miss him no doubt and she'll try to go visit Germany once in a while to see him and her dad. But for now, she wanted to stay. To live where her true home is, to love the man who she hated the most, to start a friendship with the four people who had ruined a big part of her life. Yes, just being there, driving home, and being able to say 'home' is a wonderful mystery she would surely enjoy uncovering.

That night, Kaoru turned to Kenshin for comfort. They were sitting on the roof of Kaoru's room, the night sky wheeling above their gazes. Her hand was slightly cold in his and he held it tighter. Out of the corner of his eyes, while half-pretending to stare at the stars, he could see a tear or two fall from hers. He didn't want to ask, the atmosphere told him to let her come around.

"You know" she started, "Akira and I used to do this in Germany. We loved it, especially if the moon was full. Everything was so beautiful"

Kenshin could not help but feel jealous at this. If Akira hadn't been her cousin, he would have suspected that he had some un-cousinly affection for her. And although he loved star-gazing himself, he didn't really appreciate that this activity reminded Kaoru of someone else…even if it was just a cousin.

"Yeah it is" was all he could say in reply. Noticing that she was once more silent, he pulled her head to his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her, as if to tell her that he was ready to listen.

"Akira left" she sobbed, her hands flying to her face. "He—he told me he loved me"

To this, Kenshin's brows had to tangle. Did he hear it right? "Akira, your _cousin?_" And he was careful not to put too much emphasis on cousin. Feeling Kaoru's head nod, he continued, "He loves you like a cousin or he loves you like I love you?"

"Loves me like I love you"

The redhead didn't know what to feel exactly and how to react. So, he was right after all. The cousin did have beyond cousinly love for her. He tapped her shoulder and kissed her hair. "And he left?"

It wasn't his intention to make her cry even more, but that was what his question seemed to have done. "I'm sorry, Kaoru! I didn't mean…" and getting a handkerchief from his pocket, he gently wiped her tears.

"No, I'm sorry" she said, getting the handkerchief from his hands and now stopping short. To Kenshin's bewilderment, Kaoru started to appraise the handkerchief like she had never seen one before and when she had spotted something, cried even more.

Kenshin looked at the piece of fabric and realized that it was the handkerchief "hime-chan" gave to him. He hadn't thought about that anymore, it didn't matter who hime-chan was anymore. He loved Kaoru. But what was strange was Kaoru's reaction. What did she see that made her even more upset? Or was it just him and his apparent lack of talent in giving consolation?

"Kaoru, I'm sorry…If I did somethi—"

"Kenshin, where did you get this?" Kaoru cut him off, holding the handkerchief. She sounded half-angry, half-excited that for a moment, Kenshin felt afraid of her.

"Do you remember about the girl I told you who saved me?" he said slowly, "she gave that to me"

Kaoru's tears started to fall in more heavy drops and seconds later, she was already on the verge of wailing. Kenshin, now realizing, that women, no matter how much you love them, come with _this_ kind of ambiguity, which no matter how much they tried, men will have to go close to crazy to comprehend. Out of idea as to what to do, he grabbed her shoulders gently and pierced through her wet eyes.

"Listen to me, Kaoru" he said sternly, "I don't care who hime-chan is anymore. If I see her, I'll thank her and we'll be friends but that's just it. I love you now and nothing is ever going to change that, okay?"

She sobbed and tried to speak once or twice but her voice still broke. When her tears had subsided, she looked back at Kenshin and embraced him all of a sudden. Kenshin, a bit taken back, was glad to know that he wasn't the reason of her crying. "Kaoru, what's wrong?" he asked, stroking her hair.

Kaoru pulled back and smiled. Unfolding the handcerchief, she showed him the letters T and Y embroidered on it. Kenshin was still fresh out of ideas what she wanted to tell him by showing him those. He had thought that the letters meant Tomoe Yukishiro and that was why he was so quick to conclude that she was "hime-chan" which she apparently wasn't.

"T stands for Tetsuro and Y stands for Yuuko" she said, her voice a little broken but confident and sure. "My dad said I wouldn't let go of it at my mom's funeral so he gave it to me. Unfortunately, years after that, I lost it. I couldn't remember when or how. All I knew was that I gave it to a boy. Maybe that was why I thought I've heard it before, the story you told me when you almost got killed by a jellyfish"

It was Kenshin's turn to be enveloped with shock. For what seemed like several hours, he stared at the letters as if they were going to rise to life any moment soon. He hadn't noticed it at first but there was a symbol "&" embroidered between 'T' and 'Y'. He wanted to laugh at himself for being so stupid. If he had seen it sooner, Tomoe Yukishiro wouldn't have been an issue. But there was a more pressing, more incredible fact unfolding right before his eyes. His hime-chan, all along, it was Kaoru.

He held the hanky tight in his hands and tears threatened to fall any moment soon. Turning to Kaoru, he met her warm eyes and without warning, pulled her into his arms, crushing her into an embrace that took all his strength. He was crying now and he held her even tighter. All his life, all along, he had been in love with only one girl, the same girl he now had in his arms. He felt so wonderful, so in love with her that he felt he was going to explode the next second.

"All along…all along, Kaoru…it was you" he whispered breathlessly.

Kaoru smiled and kissed his hair. Life was just too full of surprises, especially for them both. She felt Kenshin's hold loosen and her face cupped in his hands. Slowly, he brought down his lips to hers and they kissed under those stars.

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_**Author's Notes: Heya guys! I was going to update sooner but I left this file back in my hometown so I had to go home and finish it. I was glad you guys liked the **_**confession**_**, I had fun writing it myself. And thanks to those who favorited the story and put it on alert. Thanks to those who waited, read and reviewed. My love to you guys as always. Next chapter will be the last. Thanks for sticking with me so far!**_

_**Special thanks to these wonderful people: (Hope to hear from you guys again)**_

_**DeeKaui: Hey dee! I missed you! Thanks a lot. Your review makes me smile as usual. Hope you like this chapter too.**_

_**Blacksheep21: Awww, thank you very much. Well, here's the update, hope you like it!**_

_**Cosmic-lover: Thank you!! I hope you like this chapter as well!**_

_**Sulou: sulou! You can't imagine how happy I was to see your review! I got even happier when I read it. Thank you very much, you're always inspiring. And good luck with work, I know how tough it gets sometimes. My love to you.**_

_**Rein Petals: Lol! Well, I hope Akira redeems himself to you this time! Thanks for reviewing!**_

_**Serphtears: Serphtears! I get ecstatic when I hear from my old reviewers, makes me warm and fuzzy inside heehee. Anyways, hope you like this chappie.**_

_**Sapphireraccoongal: Thank you very much! Your review was soo sweet, I just had to write immediately when I read it. Heehee, I hope your questions are answered in this chappie. :-D**_


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